We Love The Water
by Aggressively Hospitable
Summary: Modern AU Tahnorra. Tahno and Korra first met when they were five years old. Years later, their starkly different worlds unexpectedly collide once again and each are thrown into the mystery they find in one another. Much like the water that captivates them, they find themselves drawn together by the current that flows between them, despite the looming obstacles in their path.
1. Wedding Aisle

We Love the Water

Prologue

The first time Tahno met Korra was on a wedding aisle. He was in a black tux, his hair was perfectly combed to the side, and his bluish, gray eyes were fixed into a serious scowl on his face. He didn't see why he had to walk down the stupid aisle in this stupid suit next to this way too annoying girl who was taking her responsibilities as a flower girl far too lightly. For Pete's sake, she was so carelessly throwing those flower petals just wherever she pleased. Those were supposed to go on the aisle for the bride to walk on. He looked down and double checked to make sure the rings were still on the pillow he was clutching for what felt like the hundredth time. If anything was going to go wrong, it would not be his fault.

"You're doing it wrong," he told her as they started walking down the aisle.

"Look, I'm the flower girl, so I decide where these flower petals go. You just have to deal with it, Pretty Boy," she sassed back as she practically threw a handful of flower petals right into his face.

"Korra!" Senna chastised from her seat as she gave her daughter a warning glare.

Korra then looked at her dad, who also didn't seem pleased with her behavior. She sighed exasperatedly and continued on down the aisle, flinging the petals in every direction with unbridled enthusiasm. As she reached the end of the aisle, she proceeded to dump the remaining contents of the basket into an unceremonious heap on the floor, before marching over to stand with the bridesmaids, smiling smugly back at a scowling Tahno.

But it just wouldn't end there would it? She wouldn't leave him alone. She insisted they do everything together for the rest of the night. He tried everything to get away from her until finally he resigned himself to hiding under a table.

"There you are!" Korra exclaimed as she crawled under the table to sit next to him. "I've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing under the table? Don't you like parties?" Korra asked as she watched the small boy try to shift away from her warily.

"I'm hiding," was little Tahno's irritated reply.

"Hiding? From who? Your mom? Your dad?" Korra inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"From the flower girl," Tahno answered, embarrassed by his answer. Boys were not supposed to be afraid of girls, but she was not a normal girl, so this shouldn't count.

"But..._I'm_ the flower girl..." Korra responded, confused and saddened by his answer.

Tahno couldn't look at her. He had been taught that it was wrong to be rude, but he couldn't help it. She had it coming. However, his eyes returned to look at her in widened surprise when Korra started laughing. Not just a giggle, but a deep belly-laugh. His features twisted back into a suspicious scowl at her inexplicable amusement. What was so funny?

"You thought you could hide from me? From under the table? You're so silly!" she squealed between laughs.

"I am not," Tahno argued back as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Says the silly boy who is sitting under a table instead of eating cake," Korra retorted with another giggle as she shook her head and left him alone for the first time all night.

Tahno opened his little mouth to argue again, but he was all alone. Unable to stop himself, he crawled out from his secluded hiding place to follow her. Suddenly, the one person he had previously wanted to avoid was now the one person he wanted to hang out with. They shared the biggest piece of cake either of them had ever seen and spent the rest of the night playing tag and causing general mayhem.

Tahno came to a conclusion about his new friend Korra; she wasn't a girl, she was chaos. He liked chaos, he decided. She loved to swim and play in the mud and rain just like he did, so they both loved the water. But there was one thing he noticed, she never really used his name when she talked to him or about him to anyone else. She called him 'Pretty Boy'. He would scowl slightly at the term. Boys were supposed to be tough and strong, not 'pretty'. But at least it was better than 'Silly Boy', wasn't it? So in retaliation he began calling her 'Pretty Girl', and each time Korra just laughed it off and dragged him to wherever she wanted to go.

"Tahno! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you! Your father is ready to leave," Norah, Tahno's mother said as she caught her son trying to chase Korra through the crowded room.

"But I want to stay with Korra!" Tahno whined.

"That is not an option young man. Now you can say goodbye, but we're leaving now," Norah lightly reprimanded.

"Yes, Mother," Tahno answered begrudgingly as Korra returned to his side. "I have to leave now. Sorry," Tahno said, his little shoulders sagging with defeat.

"It's okay, Pretty Boy, we'll see each other again. Thank you for playing with me," Korra said as she patted his shoulder consolingly.

"You're welcome," Tahno replied as he leaned in.

Korra, expecting him to hug her, leaned forward too but instead of receiving a hug, Tahno quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"Bye, Pretty Girl," Tahno said hastily before fleeing to his mother and leaving.

Korra just stared after him, her big mouth hanging open in astonishment.

"Five years old and already kissing all the girls. What am I going to do with you?" Norah gently teased her son as they walked to their car where his father was waiting.

Tahno didn't say anything in response, but neither could he wipe away the small grin that had begun to spread across his face.

* * *

_Author's Notes-_

_Biggest thanks to Alaburn who is not only betaing this but also co-writing this. You are awesome. _

_So this happens obviously when they are both 5 years old, it's just so cute and it sets the tone for the rest of this fic. _

_So just so we are all clear, this is a modern AU, no bending, Tahnorra with touches of Irosami and Makorra and Bolin/OC. _


	2. Dress Code

We Love the Water

Chapter 1

The second time Tahno saw Korra, he had no idea he was seeing his 'Pretty Girl'.

He was in school when he noticed a dark pair of legs walking by him in a hallway. His eyes traveled up her body as he noticed she didn't sashay or try to walk in a way to bring attention to herself. If anything she seemed purposeful, deliberate, and precise, her stride, while strong, was efficient.

His eyes continued to travel up to notice a muscular yet lean build. Her long brown hair swished slightly from her pony tail as she walked down the hallway, looking around for what he assumed was her classroom. Probably a FNG; he knew just about every pair of female legs at White Falls Academy, and hers were new. Damn nice ones, too. Then he noticed his frenemy Sasha Noir walking alongside and engaged in conversation with the FNG. He watched as they turned around the corner together, chatting and laughing like they were already best friends. Fan-freaking-tastic. But at least he managed to catch the new girl's name before they walked off.

"I'll see you at lunch, Korra," Sasha said as she left Korra's side to go into her own class.

"See ya," Korra called back, looking to where her only friend at this point had gone.

It was Korra's first day and so far she had already gotten into three arguments; the first with her home room teacher, the second with her Guidance Counselor, and the third with the Principle. They had all decided to make a personal vendetta with her arm band. Her tribal arm band that she spent two weeks in the frozen tundra, 25 miles above the arctic circle, killing seals, fishing and nearly dying of hypothermia - twice - and fighting off polar bears all alone to earn. She was damn proud of it; it was a part of her. But this stupid school that had recruited her because she was the best diver in the district had one hell of dress code, and it seemed her arm band came into conflict with it. But her silver lining was her tattoo, an exact copy of the arm band and just underneath it.

"_So what's worse, the tattoo or the armband?" Korra had asked both Principle Tarrlock and Mr. Tenzin._

"_I say just let her wear it," Mr. Tenzin had said, knowing what the arm band meant to her. He didn't want to see her loose her identity like so many other students had done in the pursuit of their goals._

"_We have a dress code for a reason! What message would we send to the rest of the student population?" Principle Tarrlock argued._

"_That you accept that they are more than just faceless minions?" Korra ventured before Principle Tarrlock fixed her with glare._

"_We always strive to make sure our students feel they are in a safe environment and that they are all equals," Principle Tarrlock bit back, but his tone was all warning and acid._

"_Yeah, totally feeling safe there, Mr. Tarrlock. Look you__asked me__to come here. I don't need to go to school here; you, however, need me here if you have any hope of ever winning a swim meet competition this year. I have already beaten every single one of your swimmer's times as well as outperformed every single one of your divers, male or female. And since you seem to have the notion that this school needs to have the best of everything, the ball is in your court. I will begrudgingly agree to take off the arm band but I will absolutely refuse to cover my tattoo. If you or anyone else pressures me to cover it up, I will have no reservations about going to my lawyer and suing this place for ethnic and racial grievances. I wonder how that will look on the news?" Korra had retaliated, knowing she had hit Principle Tarrlock's one weak spot, his image and reputation._

"_Fine, I will write you a note to let your teachers or coaches know to not make you cover up your tattoo," Tarrlock resigned bitterly as he quickly wrote out said note and passed it to her._

Tahno found himself wondering why the name 'Korra' seemed so familiar. Then he realized the school must have recruited her from Republic City High. He had heard of her before; she was a diver, a hell of a good one, and probably the best one RCH had had in the last two or three decades, and now she's here.

_'Well, at least she's on the right side now,'_ he thought to himself.

But something in the back of his mind said that wasn't all of it. He dismissed the thought and got to class. One of his own fan-girls, who had somehow promoted herself as his 'assistant', handed him his books for said class along with his homework that she had done for him. She had even gone through the trouble of learning his handwriting so his teachers wouldn't get suspicious. He took them from her without a single word of thanks or even a second glance and walked away.

She was either too blinded by her infatuation with him to notice his indifference toward her, or too hungry for the power her affiliation with him gave her. Probably both. In return for her trouble she was considered the third most powerful girl in school. The first, being Asami Sato, thought by all to be the 'Queen of White Falls Academy'. She was a fashionista along with a plethora of other talents, as well as just a rather likable girl. Her boyfriend was none other than a guy by the name of Iroh from a freaking military college. Even Tahno knew not to mess with the guy or his girl. The second most powerful girl in this god forsaken school was none other than Sasha Noir, Asami's best friend, who now it seemed had taken the FNG, or this 'Korra' rather, under her wing. Again, fan-freaking-tastic. The reasons for his sentiments were because Sasha was one of the few people on this earth that could see through his bullshit and call him out on it. It was beyond annoying.

Tahno went into class to discover that the new girl was sitting in the seat directly in front of his. Wait… was that a _tattoo_ on her arm? The tribal authenticity of its design peaked his interest.

_'Huh, wonder why the teacher isn't telling her to cover it up...'_ Tahno thought to himself before the teacher took control of the class and began the lecture. All throughout the class, his eyes kept returning to slide over her. He couldn't see her face from this vantage, but he wasn't going to complain about his view. Her dark mocha skin was a nice change to the pale beige and porcelain tones he was used to. Her hair looked like it would be really soft if he were to reach out and touch it. Wait, what? Since when did he ever think about touching anyone's hair but his own?

His other curiosities were satisfied at lunch when he finally got to see her face. She came over to his table that he shared with his fellow team mates as well as with Asami and Sasha, considering that most popular kids usually hung out together.

But god damn, she was pretty. More than pretty. Stunning, mind-blowingly beautiful. Her skin tone and facial structure gave her an alluring, exotic appearance. And her bright, turquoise eyes simply radiated from her face with an entrancing glow and were lined with a fringe of ebony lashes. Her eyes were the most striking physical feature she had, and the most captivating ones he had ever seen. They sparkled with humor, intelligence, mischief, and greatly added to the confident and self-assured way in which she held herself. The overall effect she exuded was charismatic and bewitching. To say he was enthralled by her was understatement.

She also had her food tray stacked. Good, that might mean she's a healthy eater. Most of the girls in his company barely ate anything and always complained that they were getting 'fat'.

_'How on earth could you get fat if all you ate were mini carrots and celery?'_ he wondered from time to time, but he wasn't going to argue with the effectiveness that the strict diets had on their figures.

"So how about you tell everyone what they all want to know, the story behind the kick ass tattoo...?" Sasha started after she made the quick introductions. Now _that_ got his attention.

"Eh, you spend two weeks in the arctic tundra above the Arctic Circle, fight off three polar bears, and nearly die of hypothermia twice while camping all by yourself and my tribe just hands them out," Korra explained nonchalantly with just a hint of sarcasm, grinning at the gasps of shock from every other girl at the table.

"Are you serious?" Asami asked.

"As a heart attack," Korra answered before taking a large bite of her hamburger.

"What do you mean your tribe?" Tahno's so-called 'assistant' Tiffany asked.

"I'm Native American, Nunatagmiut to be exact. North West Alaska, above the arctic circle," Korra clarified between mouthfuls.

"Oh," Tiffany softly replied. "So I take it you're here on a scholarship then?" Tiffany further inquired. While her words seemed innocent, her tone gave away her intent, which was meant to be intimidating.

But Tahno could see it had to opposite effect on Korra. She picked up her head and leveled Tiffany with a calculating look while smiling and nodding in affirmation.

"What sports will you be in?" Asami asked, genuinely curious as Korra swallowed.

"Dive team and swim team," Korra replied, instigating everyone at the table to dart their gazes over to Tahno to see his reaction.

Tahno, however, was a master of giving off the impression that he didn't give a shit. But his hormone-driven brain was suddenly taken over by a flood of images of Korra in a swimsuit, which catapulted into thoughts of her wearing even less. He pushed the thoughts away with strained force as he hastily took a long pull from his water bottle.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" Sasha asked, bringing Tahno back to the present in a hurry.

_Probably, _Tahno thought to himself. It would almost be a crime against nature for someone as hot as her to be single. But then he noticed her hesitation before giving an answer. He smirked to himself at the possibilities. Either she didn't have a boyfriend and she was embarrassed about it, or she could have just been dumped. If that was the case, then she was putting forth a pretty strong presence.

"No," Korra admitted with just a touch of defeat.

Tahno could read between the lines. That was a 'no, but I really wish I could say yes' kind of no. Lucky bastard, whoever he was.

"But I do have a lot of guy friends, like Bolin..." Korra began to say before Sasha reached out quickly to grab her arm as her whole body tensed, her eyes boring into Korra's with startling intensity.

"Please for the love of all that is holy say the last name," Sasha begged in all seriousness.

"Zhang," Korra enunciated slowly, watching in amusement as Sasha and all the other girls dissolved into animated fluttering's.

"Oh yeah, I forgot Bo told me he had fans here," Korra replied with a chuckle.

"Oh my god, you're on nick name terms with the great Bolin Zhang, the best wrestler and hockey player at Republic City High?" Sasha gushed in excitement.

"Well, best friends often use nick names so yeah..." Korra confirmed, puzzled yet amused at her reaction.

The girls suddenly squealed and began firing off a thousand questions all at once. Usually Tahno would feel insulted and jealous of the attention directed at another guy, but for some reason he was irked by something completely different. It was how Korra lit up when she talked about Bolin and his brother Meko or Malo or whatever it was. And where the hell did that come from? Since when did he care about something as insignificant as that? He shook his head to get rid of the displeasing thoughts as he continued to pick at his lunch with diminishing interest, trying very hard to ignore the outrageously attractive girl with a laugh like music and a smile that could brighten a black hole.

"You have to bring them to the party on Saturday," Asami insisted, which got Tahno's ears to perk up again. He watched Korra carefully as she thought about it.

"I don't know if they have plans or not but I'll ask," Korra responded casually.

The bell rang and they all moved to go back to class.

The swim team met directly after school for practice. White Falls Academy had an Olympic-sized swimming pool with an 18 foot diving well. Due to the school's rule-happy standards, the boys swam on one side of the pool while the girls swam in the lanes on the other side. Tahno was already in his lane and arranging his goggles on his carefully swim-capped head when Korra emerged from the girls' locker room. She carelessly tossed her towel to the side with the others and shrugged off her robe, revealing a magnificently toned body in a bathing suit that clung to her like a second skin and which left little to the imagination. Tahno knew without even checking that every pair of male eyes was glued to her, but god_damn_, he couldn't help it. She looked up and every guy redirected his gaze except Tahno, who held it daringly.

"So this is why everyone looked at you when I mentioned I joined the swim team," Korra ventured as she slid down into the lane next to him and began stretching in the water.

"I suppose it is," he consented dispassionately.

"You didn't say much in the cafeteria," she recalled.

"Yeah well some new girl was doing enough talking for ten people," he stated slyly while peering at her as he stretched one of his arms across his muscled torso.

"Psshh," was her only unconcerned reply.

He watched in baffled amusement as she struggled to put her swim cap over her hair sideways.

"You're doing it wrong," he related to her condescendingly.

"Who died and made you king of the pool?" she asked in annoyance while she continued to fight with the silicone material under his scrutiny.

"He didn't die, he just graduated," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Oh. So… you're the captain of the swim team or something?" she mused uncertainly.

"Bingo."

"Again, why didn't you say anything during lunch?"

Tahno laid a hand over his heart mockingly. "And take the spotlight light away from your precious Pako? I wouldn't dream of it."

She furrowed her brow at the heavy use of sarcasm. "His name is Mako, and you don't even know him."

"Never said I did," he rejoined smoothly as he lowered his goggles over his eyes with a smirk.

Korra opened her mouth to retort, but as soon as she did the coach walked into the room and blew her whistle loudly to get the swimmers' attention.

"Alright everyone, let's do a 500 easy warm up, and then it's interval training for the rest of practice. Advanced Level Swimmers look on the board to see what sort of intervals Tahno has scheduled for today. Go!"

Tahno eyed Korra's face as she quickly scanned his practice schedule to gauge her reaction. Her expression never faltered as she read it over then finished arranging her cap and goggles before taking off from the wall to begin her warm up laps. He quickly followed suit, unable to keep from observing her graceful movements through the water. Either she was totally unfazed by the set of intervals he had written, or she had one hell of a poker face. Today was going to be a torturous workout. He had heard all the other advanced swimmers groan in misery when they read where it said 'ten 100 freestyle on the 1:15' and even louder when they read, 'ten 100 butterfly on the 1:40'. But you didn't become a competitive swimmer to goof around in the water.

She went through her 500 meters much faster than he did, but he easily could have caught up with her if he wanted to. However, the whole point of the warm up was to get the muscles warm and limber before the real work began. If she wanted to use up all her energy to show off now, he wasn't about to complain. She would learn soon enough once she began killing herself trying to keep up with him during interval training.

He completed his laps to find her waiting on the rest of the team to get through with theirs', and she was doing _freaking_ handstands in the shallow end! He was about to go over and snap at her for not staying focused on the practice, when suddenly her legs rose up out of the water again in a perfect, straight line, with her toes pointed to the glass ceiling. Glistening rivulets streamed down the slim and immaculately toned calves and thighs. His mind went completely blank of any rational thought as he watched, hypnotized by the flexing of the not just nice, but the most fantastic legs he had ever seen in his life.

As soon as he started imagining what it would be like to touch that tan, sinfully smooth looking skin, he immediately dove underwater and did another lap to the end of the pool and back, this one furiously fast. Then he jumped up onto the pool deck and retrieved the giant clock timer from the supply closet and set it on the ground where it could easily be seen by all the swimmers. Normally he would have merely snapped his fingers and gotten one of the other team members to do it, but he feared that if he didn't keep himself busy, his eyes and thoughts would return to the last place they needed to go.

He leapt back into the water as the last few stragglers completed their warm up. If he had been in his regular frame of mind, he would have allowed for everyone to have a proper breather, but not today damn it.

"In five seconds, the first set of intervals!" he called out to his team mates. He was answered by a unison of barely restrained mutterings, but no one wasted time to actually voice a complaint. They all knew that incompliance with Tahno's rigid workouts meant pushups on the pool deck. "Watch the clock!" he shouted.

And as the rotating hand reached the zero, the swimmers took off from the wall, sprinting through the water so as to make it back before the end of the interval. The first couple of 100s were easy enough, but as they continued, it got harder and harder to keep up with the clock. However, instead of staying focused on his own strokes and breathing, his attention kept wandering back over to Korra as she blazed through each interval. He couldn't quite make out the specific features of her body now as she kept up a constant storm of bubbles around while she stroked and kicked like a tireless, powerful machine, but her endurance alone was what was now blowing his mind.

He kept up with her for as long as he could, and he was the only person on the team who was able to. After each 100, they would wait side by side with panting breaths for the few seconds it took for the next interval to start. For the first half of the intervals, Tahno gave her a challenging smirk right before they boosted themselves from the wall again, which she returned each time. But as they got further to the end of the set and he saw that she seemed to still be doing fine while HE was the one who was actually killing himself to keep up with HER, the looks between them morphed into determined glares.

How was she doing this? He wasn't used to being beaten in his own pool, especially not by a girl. They finished the freestyle intervals and prepared for the butterfly, the most physically challenging of the four different strokes. He had managed to not let her get passed him so far, but now he would finally see what she made out of. Already weakened from the first set of punishing drills, they began the butterfly, and he was astounded beyond belief as she pulled ahead of him, even with him swimming as fast as his body would allow him. The butterfly stroke consisted of a simultaneous stroke of the arms with a full rolling motion of the body. The technique itself was difficult enough to master, but the amount of speed she was displaying while performing flawless rhythm and method was unbelievable.

Some of the other swimmers began slacking and not making the intervals in time. He was grateful for the distraction and began taking some of his frustration out on them instead of wallowing in the truth that the new girl was a faster swimmer than he was. The end of practice finally came, and the coach instructed for everyone to take a free swim as their cool down for at least ten minutes, but informed them that they could remain in the pool until 5:00 if they wished.

Korra relaxed against the side of the pool for a moment before beginning her cool down. She looked to her side to see Tahno doing the same as he struggled to regain his breathing.

"So how long have you been swimming for?" she asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"My whole life," Tahno answered with a snort as if it was a joke.

"I see," Korra replied coolly as she removed her goggles and swim cap. She noticed his eyes follow the descent of her hair as it tumbled down her shoulders, but then he went back to ignoring her.

Damn it, she was trying to be nice and friendly. She had already heard of Tahno's reputation as a lady killer and was surprised that he had not yet tried to lay any charms on her. Was something wrong with her? She knew she wasn't ugly, but hell, none of the guys at this school had even tried to start a conversation with her yet. Sure they had all leered at her, but none of them had actually _**tried**_ to flirt with her yet. She had previously thought that maybe if she moved to a different school that she could break out of whatever funk Mako had put her in, but apparently it had followed her here. Were they scared? Or had they already measured her up and found her to be wanting? Probably the latter.

With a sigh of resignation, she ducked underneath the water's surface and shot off like a rocket to the deep end. _This_ was she wanted after this confusing day with boys and annoying struggles with authority figures. This made sense. Her eyes closed in absolute peace as the water rippled through her unbound hair and she streamlined down the dip of the bottom of the pool. Then she let the joy of being submersed in water take over her, and she relished in her freedom by twisting and arcing all throughout the water as if she had the pool to herself.

Tahno observed all of this in fascination as her movements mimicked that of a seal or a mermaid. Her unusually warm skin tone seemed to almost blend with the water in this lighting. If it wasn't for her black bathing suit he would have had difficulty keeping track of her. He broke out of his trance to look at his team mates, of which the boys were all watching Korra as well in varying stages in interest. Something bubbled up in his chest, something that felt oddly like possessiveness. He furrowed his brows at the very idea. Before he really even knew what he was doing, he was diving to where she was and tried to get her attention by grazing her leg as she did another loose, backwards somersault in the water. She stopped and twisted around to face him. A scowl appeared on her face as she signaled that she needed air.

"Yes?" Korra asked with a raised eyebrow as they both broke the surface.

"I had no idea you were such an exhibitionist," Tahno drawled pointedly.

"Excuse me?" she quipped while treading the water easily.

"You're distracting every single guy on my team with your little water gymnastic routine," he responded critically, trying to express disgust rather than the awe he felt towards her.

"Well it sounds like your guys should learn to discipline themselves better, Cap'n," Korra rebounded smugly.

Tahno was about to tell her who exactly he thought needed more discipline, when her eyes unexpectedly became half-lidded as she slowly propelled herself closer to him. His words caught in his throat at the sultry way she shifted towards him, and he was suddenly struck by the realization that the color of her eyes exactly matched the bright blue water that surrounded them. Her arm rose up above his head, and before he had even comprehended what she was doing, she pulled his cap off and quickly dove back under the water with it in her hand.

"Hey!" Tahno roared as he lunged his hand out to grab her, but she was already a good six feet below him, a trail of bubbles coming from her mouth from what he assumed was her laughter at his expense.

He hated what chlorine did to his hair, but he dove after her anyway. He pursued her as swiftly as he could, but no matter what angle he came at her from she always seemed to outmaneuver him. He finally managed to anticipate a turn and caught her ankle, jerking it toward him sharply before she twisted out of his grasp and swam out of his reach once again. Then he realized she was _playing_ with him. He could barely remember the last time someone had actually attempted to play with him. It was like she was bringing out an inner child that he had hidden away a long time ago. But he was still in front of his team; he just couldn't do this, not with so many eyes on him.

Korra was having the most fun she had had all day. By stealing his cap, she had just intended to get a little rise out of him. Uptight, no-nonsense people were always fun to tease. But she hadn't anticipated that he would actually play along with this little chase she had started. She swore she had even caught a couple of glimpses at a smile from him whenever she let him think he nearly had her.

When he abruptly stopped chasing her, she came up to the surface to see what his next move was. As she faced him, it became apparent to her that the carefree quality of their antics had evaporated from him once she saw the expression on his face. He was still coming at her, but the mood of his approach was such a one-eighty from what it had been earlier that she found herself unable to do more than just swim backwards into a corner as her eyes remained locked with his. The way he aggressively sliced through the water reminded her of a shark, and the steely look of his gaze kept her from thinking up another clever way to slip away from him. He closed in on her as her back pressed completely up against the pool wall, and his arms came up to brace against the tiles on either side of her, caging her in as his face slowly inched nearer.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he sneered, keeping his voice low but dangerous.

"Um… I'm sorry?" Korra sputtered, surprised at his reaction. What happened to the guy she was just having fun with?

"You just got here, but your acting like it's your kingdom or something because you got in for free. You somehow get the teachers to overlook rules for you because you're just too goddamn special for them, but even that's not enough for you. You insist on doing everything in your pathetic power to try and show me up in front of my entire team, and then you flip around like a freak in your own little personal underwater dance party. Does it not exhaust you to be so nauseating?"

The look on her face ran quickly from shock to fury. "What's wrong with _me_? What the hell is wrong with _you_? Or any other guy in this retarded school for that matter? With the way I've been treated by the male population here so far I might as well be a pariah instead of just a girl!"

"Well forgive me for not living up to the standards of the wonder boys from the incredible goddamn Republic City High!" he snarled right back at her.

"Don't worry about it. I would never expect that kind of achievement from you," she retorted evenly.

"Hey, what's she saying, Tahno?" came a male voice from off to the side.

Korra looked over Tahno's shoulder to see one of the other guys from the team wading over towards them.

Tahno gave a half turn of his head to regard his team mate with a look sharp enough to cut through stone, and which clearly meant that he should beat it while he still could. As the boy edged away with widened eyes, Tahno turned back to Korra, the silky arrogance returning to his demeanor. "Listen closely-"

"No, you listen to me," she said, poking him in the chest. "I don't know what kind of girls you're used to dealing with, but I'm sure as hell not one of them. Quit acting like you know me. You don't know a single thing about me."

"Sure I do. Why you're Korra, 'Superstar of Water Land'. But what are you without your swimming? You're nothing. You have no class, no background, and definitely no clue." The words were barely out of his mouth before the shame began filling him. He rarely resorted to such low tactics, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He waited for the hurt to register in her luminous eyes, but it didn't happen. If anything, the fire in them only strengthened. "Boy do I feel sorry for you, having nothing but the status you were born into to rely on for confirmation of your worth. Does it feel good to have Mommy and Daddy's class to make life fulfilling for you?"

"You ought to be mindful of who you pick a fight with. I'm not like the guys you're used to," he warned as his eyes stared daggers into hers.

"No, you're not," she agreed. "The guys I'm used to would outshine you on your best day."

"Yeah, I bet they shined for you. You just lifted your pretty little finger and Mapco came running, didn't he?"

"MAKO has twice the class you do, and he earned every bit of it instead of having it _given_ to him."

"And yet I already know enough about him to make me want to puke my brains out."

"I thought you said that you never said that you knew him?"

"I never said I _wanted_ to know him either," he bit back forcefully.

Korra rolled her eyes in utter vexation, shoved him away from her, and turned to vault herself out of the pool.

He pulled himself up as well as she went over and jerked her robe on, throwing her towel over her shoulder as she stomped towards the locker rooms. But right before she disappeared through the door, she turned on her heel to face him again, holding out his swim cap which was still wadded up in her fist. "Take your stupid class and shove it up your ass, Tahno!" she yelled in the echoing caverns of the room, throwing the wad of black silicone with precise aim and as much force as she had in her.

He watched it as it sailed over his head and landed with a slap on top of the highest platform of the high dive, then looked back just in time to see the door swinging closed after Korra's retreating form. He jerked his hand at one of the guys who had been standing around gawking at the heated battle of words. With a jump, the boy scuttled up the ladder to retrieve the cap, and Tahno began sauntering to the showers with a grin turning up one side of his mouth. The past fifteen minutes had been the most fun he'd had all week.

* * *

_Author's Notes_

_Biggest thanks to Alaburn for not only betaing this but also co-writing it as well, it seems I can write a clever plot but SHE can write clever banter like nobody's business. _

_Thanks for reading. _


	3. Sura and Casper

We Love the Water

Chapter 2

Tahno came home in an exceedingly good mood, mostly because he felt inspired, which was something he hadn't felt in a long time. He stopped by his little sister's room to see her playing on her piano keyboard in her room. For her, it was like he somehow transformed into a genuine, loving and caring knight in shining armor, instead of the cocky, self-obsessed, ego maniac everyone at school saw him as. Tahno liked to think of this side of himself to be truer to his real personality than what he was at school.

"Hi Sura," Tahno called softly so that he wouldn't startle her.

She stopped to look up at him and smiled but didn't move from where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He came in and sat down next to her and played a few seemingly random notes on her keyboard and then watched for her response. She rocked back and forth, turning her head from side to side as he tapped the keys and then played the same exact notes only on a higher register and much faster than he had. He smiled sweetly at her before playing some more, watching her closely as she mimicked his movements exactly without even seeming to pay hardly any attention. This was the way they communicated most of the time.

Sura was a musical prodigy. She was only five years old but had already mastered the piano with ease. But she was autistic as well, making her progress in verbal communication come at a painstakingly slow pace. So playing together on a piano was how Tahno and Sura communicated best. He had learned that the type of music Sura played often reflected her mood and emotional state. If it was dark and erratic, she was usually angry or frustrated, and if it was light and smooth, she probably had had a good day. And today was a good day. Tahno played on the piano with her for a few more minutes before he gave her a side hug, kissed her on the top of her head, and told her he had work to do but if she needed anything to come and get him. She gave no indication that she had heard him but instead began playing Spring by Vivaldi. He knew by now though that Sura comprehended much more than she let on. Her senses were hyperactive and took in everything around her, and she remembered everything in vivid detail.

Sura's nanny came in with her snack, and Tahno left her room and made his way down to the basement where his office and sound studio were. He sat down in front of his sound mixer and reflected for a moment about what exactly he wanted to do. Tahno didn't sing and he barely even danced, but he did write and produce music professionally. No one in his school knew about it. Hell, his friends didn't even know about his music, just like they didn't know he even had a little sister. He went by a different name in the music industry and had cultivated a decent reputation because he picked the people he worked with very carefully. He went by the name of Casper Dinali professionally and even incorporated himself in Sura Inc. of which he was the founder, owner and only employee. His father scoffed at the idea of his music career, thinking it was immature and childish, despite the fact that Tahno's royalties often outweighed his own father's income, not that Tahno's father would ever know it. In fact a majority of Tahno's income went into a hedge fund to insure that his little sister would _**always**_ be taken care of. Tahno's mother, however, encouraged her son as long as it didn't interfere with his school and extracurricular activities.

Tahno turned on the mixer and wrote down a few notes and brought up whale songs on his computer, digitally manipulating them until they were a catchy little tune. He added a beat and rhythm and recorded the track before sending it off to a few of his favorite music artists to see what they thought. He labeled it 'The Ocean in Her Eyes'. Tahno felt his heartbeat pick up and a blush form on his face as he became enveloped in the memory of how amazing Korra's eyes were when she looked at him. Granted she had been angry, but the fire in them was what sparked today's inspiration. That and the way she moved in the water like she was some kind of majestic sea goddess also had a lot to do with why he used Blue Whale songs.

He got replies almost instantly, all of them raving about how different and unique the track was and how they really liked his new direction. He smiled smugly as he replied to them before turning everything off and returning it to its usual pristine order.

Korra arrived at school the next day, tired and sore. She hadn't slept very well the previous night. She couldn't get images of a lean but still well-muscled brunette man chasing her around a swimming pool out of her mind every time she closed her eyes.

She got to her first class when her teacher handed her a note from Mr. Tenzin requesting to see her as soon as she was able.

"Can I go now?" Korra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes you may," was his indifferent reply as he went over his notes for the class before it started.

She nodded and left the room, passing Tahno in the doorway. They exchanged glances but didn't say a word.

"Hi, Mr. Tenzin. You wanted to see me?" Korra said cheerfully as she entered the school counselor's office.

"Yes. Hello, Korra. Please come on in," he greeted her from his desk as she came over and plopped herself in the seat opposite him, dropping her bag to the floor with a careless thud.

"I wanted to make sure your first day went smoothly yesterday," he inquired calmly.

"Yeah, it was fine," she answered while shrugging nonchalantly. "Thanks for backing me up on the arm band matter, by the way. That means a lot to me."

"I saw little harm in making an allowance for something that is important to your culture, and it's really a very interesting piece, not gaudy or flashy like most of the other dress code infractions made by female students."

"Ha! I can imagine," she laughed as she considered the overload of prissy girls at White Falls.

"Yes, well… the main goal is to let you maintain a strong connection to your heritage and its history. I personally feel that everyone should be free to express what makes them unique and different from their peers. Knowing where we come from is a significant part of the journey we make in finding out who we are."

"Believe me, I agree completely. The last thing I want to do is blend in with a crowd."

"That being said, how do you feel you're fitting in here so far?"

"Um… I guess there have been a few bumps, but nothing I can't handle," she admitted while still avoiding specifics.

"Class work going okay so far?"

"Yeah."

"What about interactions with your classmates?"

"That's fine too. Made a few friends, and this weekend I'm going to a par-uh… I'm going to _participate_ in a… social gathering," she clarified carefully.

"Hmm. Glad to hear you're making friends, but what about enemies?" he probed as he observed her inquisitively.

"Enemies?"

"Coach Mills informed me of some rather biting remarks exchanged between you and a fellow swim team member."

"Oh that," Korra brushed off with dismissive wave of her hand. "Tahno just had some stick up his butt, but I don't let that sort of thing get to me because I really don't give a crap."

"The testimonies I have disagree with you. Shall I recount some of the words you used that were repeated to me?"

She huffed in acknowledgment, "Okay, okay. I may sometimes have a little issue with my temper."

"I'm afraid that doesn't excuse your behavior. Apparently you also threw his personal property across the room."

"Did he seriously complain about that? I didn't even hurt it!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Tahno hasn't said one word about your confrontation yesterday afternoon. That's just according to the other people who were there. You can't let your anger get the better of you like that, Korra," he reprimanded as he eyed her somberly.

"I get that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I couldn't stop myself! He's just so - so infuriating! He kept saying all these things about me and trying to intimidate me; you can't expect me to just take that lying down." She crossed her arms stubbornly. Being a pushover was definitely not one of her shortcomings.

"I expect you to conduct yourself in an acceptable fashion. You're not exempt from the rules of this school and you will be treated like any other student here when it comes to policy. Now, you're still adjusting this week, and you're not in trouble today. But I want you to come and talk to me if you have any more issues with Tahno or any other student instead of risk getting involved in another episode."

"I'll stay out of trouble, okay? And I'm not scared of Tahno."

The counselor closed his eyes and shook his head in exasperation before looking up at her again in earnest. "There doesn't need to be any reason for you two to be at odds with each other. If you tried, you could even be friends."

"Psshh. Yeah sure, when there's a cold day in Hell."

"If you got to know him better I'm sure you wouldn't feel so adverse to him. There's always more than meets the eye; humans are complex creatures, yet we are often too quick to assume that the reasons behind another person's undesirable behavior are due to character flaws, when actually it's quite regularly because of circumstantial reasons."

"So you want me to just give him the benefit of the doubt?" she asked with a sour look on her face.

"It wouldn't hurt. Now I've kept you here long enough. Remember, you can come to me about anything. Don't hesitate to visit me if you need to talk."

"I won't," Korra reassured him as she stood and slung her bag over her shoulder before walking out the door. "Thanks, Mr. Tenzin."

"Wait, so Tahno didn't say anything, about yesterday?" Korra asked for clarification.

"No," Tenzin confirmed.

"So who did? Besides the Coach, did any of his friends say anything?" Korra asked.

"That is not up for discussion, Korra. The point is to not let it happen again; you're better than that," Mr. Tenzin told her, putting an end to the conversation.

"Yes sir," Korra replied begrudgingly, dropping the issue and leaving to go back to class with a note to excuse her tardiness.

She returned to class and handed the teacher the note silently as she made her way back to her seat. She felt Tahno's eyes on her and chanced a very short, narrowed gaze at him right before sitting down but resolved to ignore him for the rest of the class. All throughout the lecture she was almost certain she could feel him boring a hole into the back of her head, and it took every ounce of self-control she had not to simply turn around and smart off to him or hit him or _something_.

In between classes she found Sasha in the hallway and filled her in on what had happened.

"You're kidding! Ugh, men and their egos. Well I'm sorry Korra, but good for you for getting to him. Bastard deserves a challenge," Sasha offered.

"Yeah and look where it got me," Korra deadpanned in response.

"Hey, at least you didn't get in trouble. If anything, all you got was a slap on the wrist. It'll be okay, come Saturday, you will forget it even happened. Oh, and I hear Asami's boyfriend from military college is visiting her this weekend so you will get to meet him. He is _**so **_hot it should be illegal. I better get to class. See you at lunch," Sasha said while patting Korra on the shoulder before taking off.

Tahno leaned back in his chair in the second class of the day as the rest of the students filed into the room. He gave Sasha a smirk in greeting as she entered and took her seat next to him. She returned his cocky look with a glare. "What did you do this time, Satan?" Sasha quipped.

Tahno put a hand over his heart as if her words hurt him and pretended to look scandalized. "What could I have possibly done to deserve such treatment?" he inquired innocently.

Sasha narrowed her eyes at him. "And here I thought you had a clue," she countered condescendingly as she turned her attention back to the papers on her desk.

"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Tahno sneered from his seat.

"No, just irritated that you continue to be the most annoying ass on the planet," Sasha drawled as she gave him a pointed look. "Seriously, if you don't stop picking on Korra, you and I are going to have a real problem. I finally have a friend with substance, personality, and a real heart. Someone who is honestly genuine for once and you go out of your way to mess with her. Are you really that _**threatened**_ by her that you have to be this much a douche? Because if I didn't know any better, I would actually think you had a crush on her with all the time and energy you spend to make her life miserable."

Suddenly Sasha's eyes go wide and her mouth forms a silent 'O' as she figures it out. Seeing through Tahno's bullshit was a gift.

"Don't look at me like that," Tahno warns as he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh. My. God," Sasha enunciated in amazement as she gasped dramatically.

"Stop. Stop whatever it is you're thinking because it's insane," Tahno growled menacingly while staring daggers at her.

"Deny it. Deny what you think I'm thinking then," Sasha challenged with a victorious smile.

Tahno opened his mouth and barely managed to utter a syllable before Sasha cut him off, "Liar."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Tahno responded weakly in defense before turning to face the front of the class.

Sasha chuckled darkly and her eyes flashed mischievously as she took out her cell to text Asami: "GIRLS NIGHT OUT - Friday night, you, me and Korra. MAKEOVER, I'm buying." Sasha smirked as the reply came back almost instantly.

"OMG, YES, details at lunch."

"Tahno, you are so in trouble," Sasha teased in a high, sing-song voice before the teacher took control of the class and started teaching.

But that didn't stop Sasha from sending knowing and smug smiles to Tahno periodically for the rest of the class, no matter how many glares he gave back to her.

"Don't say a word to ANYONE," Tahno warned in the deepest, scariest tone he had as they left class.

"And ruin the fun of having her figure it out on her own? Never. You're safe," Sasha replied with a wink as she escaped to her next class.

Somehow Tahno didn't feel assured.

At lunch Sasha huddled with Asami as they crafted their game plan and how to convince Korra to go along with it. Once Korra arrived the three girls became thick as thieves. Sasha looked up and caught Tahno staring at them several times, and each time she did, her smile only grew bigger.

Yeah, he was in trouble.

Korra entered the aquatic center ten minutes early for practice just to make sure she and Tahno wouldn't bump into each other on their way out of the locker rooms. She had been making efforts to avoid him all day, because she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to not start another fight with him if he were to take it upon himself to try and egg her on again. Right before diving into the pool to get a head start on warm-ups, she caught a glimpse of the day's workout schedule: technique drills.

'_Great_,' she thought to herself sarcastically, '_just what I need'_.

After her meeting with Tenzin that morning, her day had continued to be nothing but one pile of crap after another. More conflicts with teachers and completely pointless rules she had apparently broken just by existing, and none of it was helped by the fact that every time she turned around, Tahno appeared to be sneering at her out of the corner of her eye. What she really wanted was the chance to work out all her frustration on the water in another series of exhausting sprints like yesterday, not have her every kick and stroke meticulously scrutinized and corrected. Her form was perfectly fine!

She hesitated for a moment as she deliberated on which lane to swim in. She almost selected the lane furthest away from Tahno's, but would that make it look too obvious that she was avoiding him? The last thing Korra wanted to do was to give him the satisfaction of thinking he had actually managed to intimidate her. '_Screw him'_, she thought angrily, leaping into the same lane she had occupied the day before and began attacking the water with much more force than necessary for warm-up laps.

She continued swimming for all she was worth, not even keeping track of how many laps she was completing. She barely noticed as the other swimmers joined her in the water, but kept on swimming until they eventually stopped their own warm-ups, and then practice commenced as scheduled. The coach was strolling along the pool deck as she barked out instructions and specifics on what she wanted everyone to work on that day. Korra half listened as she calmed her harsh breathing, well aware of Mr. High Class himself as he stood in the waist-deep water no more than four feet away from her, but she refused to spare him even a proper glance.

"Hey, superstar," a deep, honeyed whisper met her ears, crawling with arrogance and derision.

Korra rolled her eyes but otherwise didn't acknowledge Tahno's presence.

"What's the matter? Am I beneath the notice of White Falls' saving grace?"

Unable to help herself under such goading, she finally snapped her body in his direction with her hands placed obstinately on her hips to stare icy daggers at him. He didn't flinch; in fact, his smirk only spread wider on his face as he looked up at her while casually resting his forearms on the lane ropes that separated them.

"What do you want, Tahno?" she hissed.

"I never got to thank you for all the entertainment my swim cap cost me yesterday."

"And I never got to thank _you_ for keeping so many snitches in your company! Heaven forbid something should happen to you or anything that belongs to you without every person in authority knowing about it. You must have half the people in this school marching to your fife. That fact that you would go so low as to get your minions to rat me out for something so completely petty speaks volumes about you," she spat back at him.

"I'm offended," he said with mock hurt in his eyes. "You think I would actually do something like that?"

"Hell yes I do. A drama queen like you? How could I not?" she accused under her breath.

He narrowed his eyes as if in solemnity, but Korra didn't miss the spark of wit that still resonated from within them. "So you think I'm some stuck up prig, huh? Do you hate me?"

"If I gave you any thought I probably would."

"Oh, that stung."

She was about to open her mouth to retort when suddenly the coach yelled out from the other side of the pool, "Tahno! Front and center!"

"You got it, Coach!" he yelled back before giving Korra one last smug grin. "Duty calls," he said with a shrug, diving under the water to swim to the side where the lower level swimmers were.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Korra wondered out loud as she crossed her arms, still steaming with irritation.

"The coach likes to use Tahno as an example to the intermediate group for technique drills," a girl from the lane beside her answered. "He's got the best moves… if you know what I mean," she ended suggestively.

"Whatever," Korra snapped. '_Of course, case in point of him having minions to march to his freaking fife!' _she thought to herself bitterly.

The coach had them go one by one through the drills, practicing each of the four different swim strokes. The students who weren't currently swimming were supposed to be paying attention to the swimmers who were until their turn came, but during those pauses Korra found herself becoming increasingly bored. Luckily they were in the deep end of the pool, so finding entertainment wasn't very difficult. She let herself sink to the bottom and stayed down for as long as she could stand it; she could hold her breath for a really long time. She let her body adjust to the pressure as her mind become lost in the sounds of the water all around her, looking up at the entrancing way the light played on the surface of the pool.

Suddenly she was distracted by the sight of a lean, muscled male figure kicking off from the wall off to the side. For a moment she forgot about the terse words and loathing stares that she associated with the teenage boy swimming above her and just watched with awed fascination as Tahno propelled through the water in a powerful, streamlined dolphin kick. His body rolled through the motions, muscled abs and legs flexing beautifully. His black, knee-length speedo sharply contrasted his pale skin tone and bended along with his fluid, rolling progress.

Korra decided that she didn't really think he had persuaded his friends to tell on her for yesterday. Now that she thought about it, he didn't really seem like the kind of guy who was afraid to fight his own battles. She shook her head to bring herself back to reality. One appreciative look at his physique, and she was ready to dismiss her previous notions about his personality? What was wrong with her? Maybe she had too much water in her ears. She shot back up to the surface and gasped for air.

"Nice of you to join us again, Korra. Perhaps you'd like to astound us with your skill on the breaststroke?" the coach said sternly to Korra as she rejoined the group, not bothering to hide the displeasure in her voice.

"Sorry, Coach Mills," she answered contritely before taking off from the wall with five other swimmers in the breaststroke.

When she returned to the wall, she looked up to see the coach standing right over her. "Okay, we're going to have to work on that one."

"What? But I finished way before the rest of them did!" Korra exclaimed as she gestured to her team mates who were just now getting back to the wall.

"You're rushing through it too fast which in turn causes your technique to get sloppy. If you don't correct it now then you'll suffer for it further down the road and you may even get disqualified in a meet."

Korra just stopped herself from groaning in frustration. She had heard the same lecture from her old coach, but what did it matter? She was beating everyone, wasn't she?

"I want you to see how much of an improvement can be made when it's done right. Tahno! Get over here!"

_Oh joy, _Korra grumbled to herself as Tahno swam into her lane.

"We need a demonstration of your breaststroke please," the coach requested firmly.

"No problem," he said smoothly before gliding off into a perfect execution of the stroke and returning in a remarkably short amount of time.

"See that?" the coach asked Korra as Tahno was still swimming. "Even with taking the time to do the stroke exactly the way it's supposed to be done, you can still manage it with plenty of speed. In fact, proper technique is really the key to reaching the ultimate pace."

Korra battled between being impressed and being furious with Tahno's stupid technique as she listened to her coach speak. "I could still beat him," she mumbled.

"He just beat your time by four seconds," Coach Mills replied.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Let me go again. I can beat it!"

"Not today. Practice is over, everyone! Out of the pool!"

Korra pulled herself out of the water and yanked off her cap and goggles as she strode over to her things and began toweling off with intensity. She was so absorbed in the thoughts running through her head that she nearly jumped a foot in the air when a deep voice suddenly came from right behind her.

"Enjoy the view earlier?"

She swung around to see Tahno looming over her, droplets of water still dripping down his shoulders and chest.

"What view?" she snapped at him.

"Don't play dumb. I saw you looking at me underwater," he reminded her while raising a single eyebrow suggestively.

"If you saw me looking at you, then that just means that you were looking at me."

"Touché. So… I guess we were looking at each other."

"I guess we were," she tried to say indifferently but felt the heat rising in her face regardless.

He nodded his head slightly in response. "Nice lung capacity you got there."

"Thanks. Nice… breaststroke. Funny how the one with no breasts is the one who's better at it."

Not a smirk, but a genuine smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe it helps to have a strong appreciation for that part of the anatomy."

She was surprised to find herself returning it with a playful grin of her own, and she wasn't sure whether or not she imagined the subtle, downward flicker of his eyes. "Well that's classy," she responded, throwing her towel over her shoulder and turning to stroll into the girls' locker rooms. Friday could not come soon enough, because Friday night was Girls Night Out and by the good graces of GOD she needed a reprieve.

* * *

_Author's notes- Again biggest thanks to Alaburn for co writing and betaing this for me. Pretty much all the snark comes from her, I come up with the drama lol. _

_Thanks for reading. :D Reviews are love. _


	4. Kiss on the Dance Floor

We Love the Water

Chapter 3

Friday finally arrived, and it wasn't so much of a Girls Night Out as it was a Girls _Day_ Out. Swim team didn't meet on Fridays so right after school they were all free. Sasha had already informed Asami of Tahno's 'secret crush' on Korra, and the two of them agreed that come Monday, if Tahno still hadn't gotten off his high horse and actually ask her out or made a move, he would have a whole school full of competition. Of course they didn't think Korra would actually say yes if he did, but it was worth it to see him squirm. Plus, Korra was a fantastic girl and loyal friend, and they couldn't imagine _not _helping her out. She deserved it by just putting up with Tahno alone.

"Ok, ladies, first stop is the salon! Mani's, Pedi's, the whole ball of wax," Asami insisted as she drove them to their first destination.

"Are you guys _sure_ I can't chip in or at least tip people or _something_?" Korra asked from the front seat.

"If we see you take anything besides your ID out of your wallet we will both be highly offended," Sasha commanded from the back seat, speaking for both Asami and herself.

Korra looked at Asami who gave a nod in agreement. "You're with us girl, this is how we roll," she added with a bright smile as she weaved through traffic.

"Ok, I give," Korra replied as she put her hands up in passive defeat, but her smile just grew wider.

"Besides, you deserve at least a gold medal, if not like a platinum one if they made it, for dealing with Tahno and all his douchebaggery all week," Sasha said as she leaned back into her seat.

"They couldn't make it big enough," Korra drawled as the smile on her face morphed into a look of exasperation. "It's like he singles me out and tries to purposefully drive me to my breaking point," Korra whined as she looked out the window, completely missing the exchange of knowing glances and smiles between Asami and Sasha in the rear view mirror.

"He's just threatened by you because you're prettier than him," Asami soothed as she patted Korra's shoulder, which made all three girls burst out into giggles.

"What are the chances of that being true?" Korra asked once they settled down some.

"Pretty good, actually. He has seriously worn eyeliner since middle school, and he uses more hair product then I do. How he claims to be straight I will never know," Asami answered as she pulled into the parking lot.

"Ok, enough about stupid boys. Let's talk about something much more important, like what color are you going to have your nails done in?" Sasha asked Korra as they got out of the car and walked toward the salon.

8 Hours Later

Korra, Sasha, and Asami burst through Korra's front door at 10:30 later that night, carrying more bags and boxes then Korra thought could fit in her room let alone the car.

"Hi, Daddy. This is Sasha and Asami, friends from school. We went shopping, see?" Korra said as they walked further into the house.

"I see that. How much did you spend?" Tonraq asked as he eyed the bags.

"She didn't spend anything. It was our treat, Mr. Nivos," Sasha answered sweetly as the girls tried to maneuver the stairs.

"Ok, well did you girls have fun?" Tonraq inquired further.

"We had a blast," Korra hollered from the top of the stairs as she continued on her way to her room.

After two more trips, the girls finally unloaded the car and the three of them barely had enough space in Korra's room to stand. Asami and Sasha then said goodnight and left Korra to sort through everything on her own.

"Alright, if Mako or at least _one other guy_ doesn't come to his senses and ask Korra out or at least flirt her socks off by Monday, I will… do something violent. And I'm only allowing that much time because some guys might need extra time to process the change of her going from hot to super nova hot, " Sasha told Asami in earnest as she drove her home.

"That 'one other guy' being Tahno..." Asami clarified.

"Yep. God, isn't it awesome that FINALLY a girl comes along and gets HISpanties in a bunch?" Sasha chirped excitedly.

"Ok, so let's say your evil, diabolical plan works, at least on Mako, he comes to his senses and realizes a great girl has been there all along, so on and so forth. Where does that leave Tahno?" Asami countered.

"Getting a reality check by wanting something he can't have. Seriously, he has always gotten what he wants, or at least when it comes to girls. All he has to do is say 'jump', and he has at least a dozen girls asking 'how high?' He tells Korra to jump and she tells him to screw himself. It's awesome."

"And if Tahno comes to his senses and makes a move, what then?" Asami asked.

"Then we sit back and watch what happens," Sasha replied with a shrug.

Korra spent the several hours leading up to the party getting ready. She put her usually wavy hair into what Sasha referred to as 'bedroom curls', or whatever, and she had to admit she did look pretty awesome with her hair like that. She put on a pair of dark skinny jeans which showed off her figure quite nicely. They hung a bit low on her hips for her taste, but they sucked to her curves and made her legs look longer, so it was worth it. Her shirt was a very pretty silver top with cap sleeves and navy blue accents that barely reached the top of her pants. That, added with a soft lace push-up bra underneath the top to really make it pop, and she looked _damned sexy_, and even more so when she did her makeup.

She looked in the mirror one last time before she left and barely recognized herself. Two weeks ago she would already be at a skate park with Mako and Bolin, her hair in a messy pony tail, wearing large baggy jeans, a tank top that went down to her hips, and converse instead of these little flats that made her feet look tiny. But they were comfortable and that was really all that mattered to Korra when it came to footwear.

She grabbed her phone, wallet, and a tube of lip gloss and slipped them into her pockets so she wouldn't have to worry about carrying a purse. Then she hopped into her jeep and drove over to Mako and Bolin's house, hoping that they like her new look. When she arrived, Bolin opened the door and gave her the reaction she had been hoping for. His eyes went comically wide and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

"_**Damn,**_ you look...amazing, wonderful, beautiful, gorgeous, ugh, I'm running out of words here. Who are you and what have you done with my friend Korra?" Bolin asked as his eyes began to go back to their usual size and the biggest, brightest smile plastered onto his face.

"She got attacked by girls who know fashion," Korra answered with a chuckle as she walked into the house.

"Who got attacked?" Vinnie, Bolin and Mako's mother inquired as she appeared from the kitchen.

"I did, by girls who knew how to make me look like a girl for once," Korra repeated.

"That's not a bad thing is it? Because you look adorable," Vinnie said with an approving nod.

"Thanks. Mako ready yet?" Korra asked, getting antsy.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming," Mako grumbled as he came down the stairs and grabbed his jacket as he made his way out of the door, barely even looking at Korra.

"Mako, doesn't Korra look great tonight?" Vinnie asked, causing Mako to actually notice her.

He looked her up and down and gave her a quick smile. "Yeah, you look great, Korra. Now let's go," he said, herding them toward the door.

Korra's smile faltered as her shoulders slumped, causing her head to lower a tad. Now all Korra wanted to do was scream and beat her head against a wall, because if _that _was the best compliment she could get from Mako, considering what she went through to look this great, then something must honestly be wrong with her.

At the party, Tahno lounged on one of the couches with Tiffany under one arm and some other mindless girl, whose name he couldn't even remember under the other. The doorbell rang and he saw Sasha head to the door to answer it. She was helping Asami play hostess since Asami's boyfriend was in town and keeping her quite preoccupied. From his vantage point he could see the two of them in the kitchen, talking and just being generally romantic and so lovey-dovey with each other that Tahno thought he really might puke his brains out. But Korra was supposed to show up here tonight and bring Bolin and the amazing Mako with her. For reasons he would never admit out loud, he wanted to see what it was about them that made Korra smile so much with that _look _on her face. Remembering it now made his vision go blurry with jealousy, and an uncomfortable feeling like flames licking up his back had him breathing heavier as he imagined one of these other guys, who Tahno now recognized as his competition, spending time with Korra and making her laugh, being romantic and affectionate like the couple in the kitchen. He hurriedly snapped himself out of it as Sasha opened the door.

"Korra! You made it! Oh my god, you look gorgeous. And you brought Mako and Bolin! Welcome, guys. Come in, come in. I'm Sasha, if you need anything please let me know, otherwise enjoy the party," Sasha said with the biggest smile Tahno had ever seen on her face as she ushered them inside. "Oh, and Korra, Asami's boyfriend is here. He's in the kitchen; you should go say hi," Sasha suggested as she lead the way to the kitchen.

As Tahno watched Korra enter the room, everything else suddenly seemed to melt away from his notice. He was completely unaware of his jaw dropping away from his face or of his heart suddenly pounding with a painful, galloping rhythm. Nothing could describe how incredible she looked. His brain short circuited as it tried to think of things to compare her to. She was more beautiful than any star in the universe and hotter than Hell itself. Sasha had not been exaggerating when she had told him he was in trouble; he couldn't remember his own name. His eyes stayed trained on her as she walked across the room and into the kitchen. He forgot all about his previous intentions to size up his competition. He forgot about anything he wanted to do that didn't include keeping her in his sight.

"Iroh!" Korra squealed as Asami's boyfriend looked up and smiled brightly at her.

"Kor-RAH!" Iroh boomed as he pushed off the counter and stepped forward, opening his arms up as she quickly closed the distance and leapt up into them. He swung her around in a circle as she laughed loudly while Asami looked on in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Korra asked excitedly as he set her back on her feet.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I'm here with Sammy," Iroh explained as he turned and gestured to Asami.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Korra said as she put her hands up. "Asami Sato is _Sammy? Seriously?!"_

"Yeah," Iroh replied as if it were the simplest thing to comprehend while shaking both Bolin and Mako's hands enthusiastically like they were all long lost friends.

"So how do you know Korra, Iroh?" Asami inquired, trying to keep her voice light and curious even though she was now eying Korra suspiciously.

"Oh, our dads served in the Marines together. I've known her since before she could walk, so Korra's like the annoying little brat of a sister I never had. Ow," Iroh complained as he recoiled from the punch Korra landed into his side.

"You better watch it, bub, now that I know Asami is Sammy. Ooh the _things_ I could tell..." Korra teased in a sing song voice as she poured herself a drink from selection on the counter.

"Be careful ye who livith in a house of glass," Iroh jokingly warned.

"Ew, why do you have to say it like that? You know I get creeped out by Shakespeare," Korra retaliated while making gagging noises and shuddering, causing everyone to laugh at her.

"I know, but it's too fun. I see you got the council to let you go through the _passage_," Iroh pointed out, gesturing to her arm tattoo.

"Yep, it was pretty awesome. You seemed to have gotten some ink yourself," Korra responded as she lifted his shirt sleeve to inspect his new Navy tattoo. "Nice," Korra gave her stamp of approval before going to Asami and giving her a hug as well.

"I am so sorry I didn't put it together, but of course it would make sense that you're 'Sammy', the most 'perfect woman on the planet'. He talks about you ALL THE TIME," Korra related to her friend before leaning in to whisper, "You know he worships the ground you walk on right? And that he _**loves you**_, like he would walk across a desert of broken glass on his back if it meant getting to you."

Then Korra turned back to Iroh. "You break her heart and I will END YOU," she threatened, pointing her finger at him for emphasis.

Iroh just rolled his eyes and smiled at Asami as Korra started talking again, going a mile a minute to catch him up on everything that had been happening in her life since they last saw each other.

Tahno observed as Bolin's presence became known in the house and was subsequently bombarded with more female attention than Tahno thought was necessary. Tahno turned his attention back to Korra who had taken a seat on the counter as she continued her conversation with Iroh. Her body language indicated that she was now much more comfortable and enjoying herself, and he could hear the musical, chime-like sound of her laugh even over the noise of the crowd. Iroh's body language proved his point about Korra being like a sister to him, but when Tahno darted a look at Mako, he knew something was off. The guy barely paid any attention to Korra; in fact, he was pretty much ignoring her despite the fact that she was by far the most attractive girl there. However, he didn't seem to be having any reservations about pouring the charm on Asami. Tahno couldn't believe the nerve of that creep. Hadn't Iroh just greeted him as an old friend? And THIS was the guy Korra was crazy about?! Mako didn't even seem to know she was in the room. Normally, a situation like this would create a great deal of amusement for Tahno, but for some reason he found himself feeling sick and unreasonably angry.

He made eye contact with Sasha and gave a slight jerk of his head, signaling for her to come over as he sat forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Yes your highness?" Sasha asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Do you see what I see?" Tahno asked as he nodded toward the kitchen.

Sasha followed his line of sight but only noticed Korra talking with Iroh. "That Korra looks amazing and that she's catching up with Iroh? He said she was like a sister to him. He's great by the way," Sasha replied, still watching Korra talk about something while using really big hand gestures as Iroh laughed along.

"Yeah, he's one in a million," Tahno brushed off before continuing sarcastically, "And it sure is nice of him to be so willing to share his girlfriend."

"What?" she exclaimed, swiveling her gaze over to where Mako was advancing on an annoyed looking Asami. "Oh damn. Huh, I don't think Iroh has noticed yet. He's pretty protective of Asami and they're usually attached at the hip whenever he's in town, but he seems kind of distracted so I'll run interference."

Sasha walked back over to Korra and said something in her ear, causing Korra to look up and visibly deflate as she caught sight of Mako and Asami. Tahno felt an uncomfortable prick in his chest as he saw the look in her eyes display a mixture of disappointment and hurt. Iroh also looked over and caught Asami's eye as she gave him a silent plea for help. He went over immediately and hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her away. Mako frowned slightly, but quickly recovered and actually had the audacity to look surprised at the glares coming from Korra and Sasha. Tahno smirked with pleasure at how the turn of events played out.

Suddenly he heard the sound of about two dozen girls squealing and looked over to see Bolin getting a guitar pushed into his hands.

"Show off," Tahno grumbled under his breath before spotting Korra and Sasha joining the small crowd. "Damn," Tahno huffed while standing up instinctively to follow, abandoning the girls beside him without a second thought.

He stalked Korra around the party for the next hour, never so close that he intruded in on her personal bubble of space, but close enough to hear her conversations. He was surprised with what he was able to find out. Then he finally heard an exchange of words that caught his complete attention.

"Korra, why the hell did it seem like Mako was trying to move in on Asami back there?" Sasha demanded.

Korra sighed despondently. "Ever since he met Iroh, he's always felt like he has to compete with him or something. Don't ask me why."

"Well then why did Iroh just let it go? And how in the world does he put up with him?"

"I guess he's just gotten used to it, and he knows that Mako's my friend so he's not going to go and beat him up or anything."

"And Mako's JUST a friend, right?" Sasha asked while eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yeah…" Korra answered hesitantly.

Sasha shook her head in bewilderment. "Korra, I know he's gorgeous and everything, but… hang on. That's the door. I'll be right back," she said as she snaked through the crowd to the front of the house.

While Korra watched her friend walk off, Tahno decided it was the perfect time to take her attention for his own. He sidled up beside her so quietly she didn't even notice him until he purred into her ear, "I'll bet no one's ever told you how becoming you're eyes are in the dim light of a party."

Korra had been trying to fight back the trembling wave of emotion her conversation with Sasha had brought on, and she had been beyond grateful for the distraction of the doorbell which had brought the discussion to an abrupt halt. However, it hadn't been enough to stop a tear from welling in the corner of her eye, and she was about to start silently cursing Mako for always doing this to her, when suddenly she heard the unmistakable sound of one of Tahno's sly remarks. Something inside of her leapt at the sound of his voice, and she turned her head in his direction as a corner of her mouth turned up in a wry grin. "Actually, lots of people have," she retorted favorably. "But now I can add Tahno, Master of the Breaststroke to the list."

He chuckled in response, and she did her best to inconspicuously wipe the moisture away from her eye. She saw his eyes soften as they stared at her, but then he quickly lowered them to give the rest of her body a once over. "You clean up nice," he complimented, shrugging one shoulder in a show of inconsequence.

She cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. "What, all out of cynicism today?"

"Hell, no. But just as with all things of significant value, it's best doled out in moderation."

She tapped a finger to her chin in false contemplation as she asked, "Does that mean I get a break tonight?"

His smirk widened. "Fat chance, Pretty Girl."

A strange feeling, like a forgotten memory washed over her at his words, but before she had a chance to investigate it further, Asami announced that the DJ had arrived and was finished setting up.

"Awesome, be there in a sec," Korra called back before she turned her attention back to Tahno. "Do you dance?"

"Not really," he admitted.

"Huh," Korra replied as she cocked her head to the side slightly, studying him closer for a moment before she finished her drink.

"What? Surprised I _**don't**_ dance?" Tahno asked.

"Actually yes, because here I thought you could do everything and do it perfectly. Guess you're human after all and not the god some believe you to be," Korra countered as she took a step to throw her cup away.

"A god? Well… if you want to get down on your knees and pray, I'm not going to complain…" Tahno offered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Ew, gross. No thank you... see ya around, Pretty Boy," Korra countered as she walked away, despite the fact that her cheeks decided a deep blush was completely necessary.

Korra bit her lip to keep the mischievous smile from completely taking over her face at the thought of what Tahno implied. '_Well he does fill out his swimsuit nicely, even in cold water...STOP! EWWWW! What is wrong with you?! How can you think that?' _Korra asked herself with a shudder as she made her way to the dance floor where Bolin was dancing with Sasha along with at least a dozen other girls surrounding them. Korra decided to join that group as more people crowded the dance floor. Earlier she had felt that being ignored by Mako had depressed her too much to be able to dance like she wanted to, but after joking around with Tahno, she was in a strangely good mood again. Now, for some reason, she felt like being flirtingly vivacious, and she sternly told herself that it had nothing to do with the tall, confident, quick-witted, and admittedly good looking guy watching her from the shadows as he leaned against the wall.

Tahno took up a spot on wall where he could keep an eye on Korra, because frankly, she was the only one there worth keeping an eye the more he watched her, the more he realized a few things. The first was that Shakira had nothing on the way Korra was moving that amazing body of hers. Her hips seemed to move with the rhythm all on their own. Korra stood out against all the other girls trying to copy the choppy and jerky dance moves they saw on a music video. Korra moved the way a _woman_ is supposed to move to music.

Dear god, he nearly lost it when the DJ put on a Shakira song and Korra rolled her body to the point that her head was about to reach the back of her knees. His mouth couldn't decide if it wanted to water or run dry. He forced his eyes away to see just about every other guy was drooling on themselves and tripping over their own possessiveness bubbled up in his chest again like a bad case of heartburn. Korra seemed to be unaffected by all the stares as she swayed, dipped, and turned in her own little world. Tahno recognized the gentle, serene smile on her face that she often wore when she was cooling off after a swim and floated through the water like she belonged there, like she was an extension of the water herself.

Before Tahno knew what he was doing, he was moving across the dance floor as if Korra was unknowingly pulling him towards her. Now while he claimed he didn't dance, it was kind of a half-truth; he could dance a little, but just enough to get by and blend in with a crowd. He moved closer and closer to Korra, who smiled brightly at him once he got close enough. She leaned over to murmur in his ear, and he couldn't help but breathe in the smell of her perfume and hair.

"Thought you didn't dance?" she asked smoothly, and he barely stopped himself from shivering as her soft breath brushed against his ear and neck.

"You looked kind of sad dancing by yourself, so I thought I'd join you." '_Before some other guy did,' _he added to himself silently.

"How noble of you," she retorted while still smiling and rocking to the music.

"Although I was expecting Mambo to be out here with you," he conjectured.

Korra's brows knitted together. "If you mean _Mako_, I think he's around here somewhere…"

He shook his head and stared intensely down at her. "Honestly, I don't give a damn."

All of a sudden, a song very familiar to Tahno began pounding out of the speakers, and he observed wonderingly as Korra closed her eyes as it started. "Mmm, I love Casper Denali. He always makes the best music," she said after a moment.

Tahno nearly tripped on himself at her admission."How do you know about Casper Denali?" he asked. There was no way that she could know that _he _was actually Casper, right?

"He, or at least I think it's a he, seems to be the producer or song writer of all my favorite music. I've actually googled him and no one seems to know who he really is or what he looks like, but you can't argue with how awesome his tracks are," Korra replied as she got closer to Tahno so she didn't have to yell over everyone.

"Well if all of his songs cause you to dance this close to me, I might have to look him up," he said, eyeing the small amount of distance between them with appreciation.

Korra laughed and shook her head but continued to dance. Over the course of the next few songs the dance floor became even more crowded so that Tahno found himself dancing dangerously close to her, and their bodies brushed up against each other several times. Not that he minded, it was actually the most fun he'd had all evening, and he could tell Korra was either comfortable enough with his presence to not hold back or had simply stopped caring who was around. He hoped for the first. He had been working on getting close to her without her or anyone else suspecting anything all week.

Then something inside his mind clicked into place. An image of a little girl with the same intense blue eyes, smiling and laughing with him when he was really little flashed in his mind for a split second, but it was gone before Tahno could really make sense of it. He zoomed back to reality as he locked eyes with Korra again, who was definitely not a little girl but fully grown and… perfect. And the way she was dancing _like that_ and looking at him _like __**that**_ made a few more things click into place, pushing his body to move without questioning proper reason. He leaned down and placed his hands gently on her hips, pulling her into him as if he was going to say something in her ear, and she leaned in further, placing her hands on his chest to steady herself until their bodies were almost flush against each other. Without a second thought, Tahno closed the distance and softly but firmly pressed his lips against hers as they stood in the middle of the dance floor in front of God and everyone else. Immediately upon contact, he felt the most amazing shock travel through him in a delicious wave, and he barely heard the elicited gasps from the people surrounding them as the kiss ignited a fire in his soul that he had never experienced before.

Korra froze and inhaled sharply through her nose at the contact until Tahno pulled away to look at her and saw that her hands were still resting on his chest. He could swear his heart was beating so hard against her palm that he feared she might bruise. She just stood there, motionless as she stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth and shock clear on her face. He waited for what seemed to be a lifetime for a reaction, and then he saw it: lust flickered in her eyes for a second before the rage and fury followed.

'_Shit'_, he thought to himself, realizing she might decide to kick his ass right then without so much as a blink. He watched as her breathing hitched and her eyes narrow as the rest of her face contorted into a snarl.

"Oh _DUDE, _you're in _trouble_, hell hath no fury like a woman..." Bolin began to say in the background before Korra grabbed Tahno by the front of his shirt and began dragging him out of the room. He followed, allowing her to pull him along because it occurred to him that he didn't really have a choice at this point. She hauled the two of them outside to the back of the house and away from everyone else so that they were all alone.

She used her grip on his shirt to throw him into the wall before hissing at him with bared teeth,"What the _**FUCK**_ was _**THAT**_?!" Korra demanded as she stood before him, her hands forming fists in front of her as if she was going to just pummel him any minute.

"Look, just calm down, alright?" he eased carefully, no longer carrying any traces of humor in his tone.

"Calm down? Why don't you just shut the hell up and explain yourself?!"

He chanced a small snort of laughter as he looked at her quizzically. "Make up your mind. Do you want me to shut up or explain?"

She groaned in frustration. "Just… just…" And without further ado, she stood up on her toes and dragged his head down by his shirt collar and planted her lips firmly to his.

Tahno moaned out loud, expressing both his surprise and extreme pleasure. He brought his hands around her body, using one to rest on her lower back and the other to cup the back of her neck as he kissed her with an unleashed passion. Then he switched their positions so that he was pushing her up against the wall as their lips moved together wildly. Amazingly, she didn't complain but actually pulled him even harder against her as their breathing became more labored and their movements became more frantic. The only way to explain what was happening was to compare it to an explosion that had resulted from a steady buildup of flirtatious tension over the past few days. All Tahno knew at that moment was that he couldn't get enough of her.

As if stealing the thoughts from his head, Korra suddenly muttered between kisses and gasps for air, "Why can't I stop?"

"I don't know, but don't question it. It's too good," he panted back before diving in for more.

He felt her smile against his lips. "What happened to moderating things of significant value?" she whispered as he kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Fuck moderation," he groaned as they once again became too lost in the moment to speak.

* * *

_Author's notes- Good god Alaburn, you are so awesome and amazing for not only betaing but also providing the snark and humor between Tahno and Korra._

_Yes, I am inventing the word douchebaggery. _

_Thank you to "Guest"\s for reviewing, if you actually had an account I would thank you personally but I am just going to have to make due with a public 'thank you'._


	5. Bruises

We Love the Water

Chapter 4

Korra pulled back as Tahno's words echoed in her head and felt the haze of lust lift as her common sense kicked in. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him back slightly, forcing him to look at her. "Why?" Korra asked breathlessly as her eyes bored into his.

"Why what?" Tahno countered.

"Why are we doing this? You don't even like me..." Korra started to argue.

"Yes I do," Tahno protested adamantly as he tried to prove it to her by attempting to resume what had ended much too soon, but Korra dodged and slipped out from between him and the wall.

"No, I mean..." Korra began as she ran her hands through her hair and started to pace back and forth, leaving a very confused Tahno to lean against the wall as he watched her. "Tahno, what are we really doing? I mean we can't... we shouldn't... do this, whatever _this _is. And besides, you have Tiffany and I'm not about to come between you two..."

"No, no, no. There is _**nothing**_ between Tiffany and me! She's a glorified assistant if anything. There's nothing more..." Tahno interrupted, not wanting to lose her or have her under the impression he was cheating with her on someone else.

"Even if that's true, we still don't know each other enough to… Where did this even come from? Obviously, neither one of us are in our right minds right now, so we just need to stop before it gets out of hand. This would never work anyway. You've got dozens of girls hanging around you all the time, and you've seen my temper; things could get ugly if I got jealous, and believe me, I would." She finally stopped pacing to fix him with a severe look. "Let's just forget this happened and go back to the way things were, okay?" she told him decisively, even though in her heart she felt wrong saying it.

Tahno's own heart felt like it had just been kicked at her insistence that they forget what had just transpired. Did she not believe him? Or did she not think he could be whatever she wanted or needed him to be? Was she so sure that every guy would be as disappointing and hurtful as that asshole Mako that she pushed them away? Or was it just him?

"If that's what you really want..." Tahno replied, trying to keep from sounding as hurt as he felt.

Korra nodded but couldn't bring herself to vocalize an affirmation. They walked side by side back to the party, their postures stiff and awkward. Tahno pulled the door open and stood aside, allowing her to enter in front of him. They didn't speak for the rest of the party and did their best to act as if nothing had happened outside while they were alone in the dark, but there was no stopping the searing looks they exchanged each time they chanced to catch each other's eye. Tahno was about to go crazy from the tension when suddenly Mako reappeared by Korra's side and told her he wanted to go home. Bolin was very reluctant to leave, especially since he and Sasha were becoming more and more acquainted with each other and had barely left each other's side all night.

Korra felt the night couldn't possibly get any worse, but of course things continued to go downhill on the drive home.

"So, you and Tahno, huh?" Bolin ventured from the backseat.

"What?" Korra squeaked, suddenly remembering that there had been audience to the incident on the dance floor.

"Hey we _all _saw..."

"There's nothing there Bolin! We just... got caught up in the moment," Korra rebutted, trying to keep her eyes on the road as she felt Mako's eyes become focused on her for the first time all night, even if they were critical.

"Wait, what happened?" Mako demanded.

"Oh man, you didn't see it? Tahno and Korra _totally_ had a _**moment**_ on the dance floor tonight. That is, before she dragged him off to who knows where," Bolin supplied suggestively.

"Had a 'moment'?" Mako repeated incredulously as Korra cringed slightly.

"Yeah...?" she answered self-consciously.

"What kind of moment?" Mako inquired further.

"He kissed me, okay? And then I hauled him off outside and set him straight," Korra clarified, leaving out the crucial fact that she had made out with him directly afterwards, and that it had been the most heated moment of her life.

"Wait, is this the guy who was zeroing in on you all night even though he had a girl under each arm? The womanizing bastard with the eyeliner? You beat his ass right?" Mako asked, to which Korra only bit her lip and blushed instead of answering.

"Although I expected him to be limping a bit more if that was really the case," Bolin added with a slight chuckle.

"Bolin, I swear to God, if you don't stop I'm telling Sasha about your Hulk boxers," Korra threatened instead of actually answering Mako. Which only earned her a deep belly laugh from Bolin, who, if he had not been wearing a seat belt, would have been rolling on the floor.

"She already knows!" Bolin cackled. "She likes the Hulk just as much as I do! In fact, she has a pair of them too!" Bolin nearly squealed.

"Really? So are you two going to go out or what?" Korra asked, completely forgetting her own embarrassment.

"Yep, tomorrow actually," Bolin chirped cheerfully.

"Good for you, Bo. Sasha's a great girl. Did she tell you that she rides a motorcycle half the time?" Korra asked.

"Yes, she did. One of the many things that makes her awesome," Bolin confirmed.

"Did she also tell you that she wears a tight, full body, black leather body suit when she does?" Korra prodded further, causing Bolin to drop his jaw. "Yeah...have fun," Korra added with a bright smile at him in the rear view mirror as she pulled up to their house.

"Well I don't like him," Mako said, bringing Korra back to their previous conversation.

"You don't like who?" Korra asked for clarification.

"Mr. Eyeliner."

"His name is Tahno," Korra corrected. "Tahno Malek. And at least you don't have to go to school with him."

"Just keep your distance from him, okay?" Mako requested as he lingered by the car while Bolin got out and went inside, already on his phone and talking with Sasha.

"That's going to be difficult since he's the captain of my swim team and in my home room," Korra pointed out.

"You know what I mean, Korra. I don't like him."

"You don't like anyone, and I'm sorry but since when do you give a damn who I hang out with anyway?" Korra snapped. "And since you are not my father or my boyfriend, I really don't think you have any right to say anything, do you?"

"You wouldn't listen to me even if I was your boyfriend," Mako retorted brusquely.

"How do you know what I would do if you were my boyfriend?" Korra defied, wondering if he would ever get that that was all she had wanted for as long as they had known each other.

Mako just rolled his eyes and huffed irritably. "Goodnight, Korra," he grumbled to a now fuming Korra, who after he entered the house had proceeded to hail a series of punches to her steering wheel hard enough to bruise her hands, while cursing Mako for being Mako.

On Monday morning, Tahno was preparing to leave for school, his thoughts whirling with the anticipation of seeing Korra again, when his father called him into the dining room. He entered the room to find both his parents seated at the table, his father reading his newspaper as his mother primly sipped at her coffee and went through her book planner.

"You called?" Tahno drawled indifferently, an attitude he had picked up from his father, as it was the only one the man seemed to be capable of when it came to his only son. That and anger.

He lowered his paper to eye Tahno sternly, the same look he had been giving him everyday of his life for as long as he could remember. "Your mother and I are having some guests over for dinner and drinks later this week. These would be the esteemed colleagues I told you about before with the university connections. They'll be interested to hear about your upcoming tournament, which you will respectfully inform them all about, as well as your impressive prospects."

"The universities that'll help me with my music, or the universities _you_ want?" Tahno asked dryly, knowing full well what the answer was.

"I've told you a thousand times that that trash you fool around with is not going to get you anywhere."

"He's very good at it, Cohen dear," his mother said complacently, resting a hand on her husband's arm.

"That's beside the point," he responded before turning back to Tahno. "I won't hear any more argument about it. You _will_ present yourself, and you will be the picture of decorum and privilege. You are part of this family and I expect you to honor the Malek name."

"And Sura?"

"Son," he warned, lowering his tone formidably.

But Tahno cut him off, "What? She's not a part of this family? Or do you want to keep on pretending like you don't even have a daughter?!" He ended the last part by raising his voice, something that usually meant there'd be hell to pay.

"Your sister is not well," the older man grumbled resolutely.

"She's perfectly fine! Yeah, she's different, but that's no excuse for hiding her from the world!" Tahno argued.

"What we do for Sura, we do to protect her."

"Bullshit. You're protecting your dignity, which for some reason you're terrified a little autistic girl will tear to shreds!"

"Tahno!" his mother spoke out, her voice trembling. "You know I don't like either of those words."

"Autistic isn't a swear word, mother."

"Even so, I don't want you to say it in front of me. You know we love Sura, but she doesn't cope well with strangers."

"You don't even give her a chance. How is she ever going to learn to cope if you keep her shut up in this enormous, empty house and only educate her with private tutors instead of letting her go to a school with other kids her own age? You're both just too ashamed to admit you have a child with a disability."

Norah did not respond to her son's accusations, but merely lowered her head until her forehead rested in her hand and her face was hidden from view. She couldn't stand for anyone to see her discomposed, and Tahno felt the guilt eat at him for hurting her, but it didn't change his position.

Mr. Malek laid his paper flat on the table as he regarded his son with a dangerous frigidity. "This conversation is over, Tahno. Don't forget what I've told you about the dinner party," his father said as he stood up from the table.

"Sure. Shall I tell her nanny to keep her on lock-down during your party, or do you want to do it?"

"That's enough," his father growled. "The decision about Sura's welfare has nothing to do with you, and you'd do well to remember that. Now get to school."

"If you would just spend time with her-" Tahno tried to reason.

"_**GO**_!" Cohen Malek suddenly barked at full volume, landing his fist on the table with a resounding crash as his face contorted with rage.

Without another word, Tahno stormed out of the room and into the hallway as he made his way to the front door, but a small figure huddled underneath the hallway table caught his eye. His boiling anger and frustration suddenly evaporated to be replaced with sadness as he realized Sura had been under there the whole time and had probably heard every word.

He crouched down to join her on the floor. "Hey, Princess," he murmured softly to her. "Are you okay?"

She was sitting curled up in a ball, one arm wrapped around her knees while she used the other to run her fingernails back and forth over the wallpaper beside her. When he greeted her, she turned to scan his face quickly but then returned to watching the movement of her fingers over the intricate patterns while she hummed to herself, and it wasn't one of her happy tunes.

"I'm sorry you had to hear all that. It's not your fault, okay?" he said as intently as he could while still keeping his voice gentle.

Suddenly she ripped her little hand away from the wall and began hitting the top of her head with it repeatedly.

"No, Sura," he reprimanded, shielding her head from her slaps with his own hand. Her doctor had explained this tendency as a self-induced attempt to block out her surroundings when she began to feel overwhelmed. "No hitting, remember?"

He noticed her keyboard sitting off to the side and dragged it around so it was right in front of her. "Music instead," he reminded her.

"Music instead," she repeated, lowering her hand to tentatively touch the keys.

Tahno leaned over to quickly kiss his little sister on the forehead before saying, "I have to go, alright? You want me to read to you tonight?"

"Book," she whispered, finally smiling a little.

"That's right," he said, smiling back. "Play your piano. I think it's a Mozart kind of day, don't you?"

Sura nodded and picked up her keyboard before making her way to her room.

In Tahno's first class, he immediately noticed that Korra's hands were covered in bandages and instinctively fisted his own hands. "What happened to your hands?" he asked, his voice dangerously low and almost a growl.

"Steering wheel. It's not a big deal," Korra said, her tone revealing her irritation.

"The hell it's not. Was it an accident or did you do it on purpose?" he questioned, remembering with a wrenching heart all the self-inflicted injuries Sura had given herself in the past.

Korra shot him a look of contempt out of the corner of her eye. "If you insist, I'll tell you later," she bit out, ending the conversation.

The rest of the day Tahno made it a point to only be in Tiffany's presence when absolutely necessary, but to otherwise keep his distance from all female company except Korra in an attempt to help her see that she had no reason to be jealous, only to be eaten up with jealousy himself. She had gotten so much attention from the male population that day that Tahno was about ready to snap and just claim she was his so they would stop _**looking**_ at her like _**that**_. It wasn't too hard to keep anyone away from him. Everyone seemed to sense that he was feeling about as friendly as a thunder cloud, and his mood wasn't helped by the memory of the argument he'd had with his parents that morning. Needless to say, he was relieved when the time for swim practice finally came.

He stood at the end of his lane, waiting for Korra to appear. When she did, he saw her bruised, swollen knuckles as she flexed them, wincing slightly at the movement. He felt a throb of discomfort travel down his spine as if in answer to her pain. He waited patiently as she eased into the pool, but then reached over to gently turn her chin in his direction as she seemed set to ignore him.

"It's later," he reminded her.

"I don't want to talk about it in front of everyone, so… maybe after practice is over or something, okay?" Korra replied, unable to meet his gaze for more than a second.

"Okay," he mumbled reassuringly, letting the subject drop for the time being.

At the end of practice, the coach announced that the pool would stay open until 5:00 for anyone who wished to remain, and Tahno didn't even have to wonder if Korra would choose to swim a little bit longer. He gave everyone he could a look that clearly meant to make themselves scarce, and they all passed on the message until it was only him and Korra in the entire pool. He noticed that instead of taking off like a dolphin as per usual, she simply floated around in the middle of the quiet, still pool, looking contemplatively up at the ceiling.

Tahno swam up next to her and began casually treading water while he watched her face carefully. "So... are you ever going to tell me?" he asked quietly, lightly brushing one of her hands with the tips of his fingers.

"I was mad, and I busted the crap out of my steering wheel," she answered blandly.

He shook his head in bewilderment. "What made you so mad?"

"An idiot," was Korra's vague reply.

"Not me, I take it?"

The corner of her mouth twitched half-heartedly. "No, not this time."

"So we're talking about Macho, I assume?" Tahno smoothly rejoined.

For once, Korra didn't even bother correcting his intentional mispronunciation of Mako's name, and he couldn't help the bounding leap his hope suddenly took. "Yeah... I'm just... really frustrated with him right now. I can't believe he was flirting with Asami while Iroh was _**right fucking there**_. I thought he knew better or at least _was_ better than that," she spat angrily.

"Yeah, I remember. Can't say I was impressed," Tahno added.

"Well, you're not impressed with much so I don't know if that's really saying anything," Korra countered with a smirk.

"I was impressed with you, so that should tell you something," Tahno said quietly in a rare show of esteem for anyone other than himself, prompting Korra to chuckle a little.

"Yeah, well, it didn't get me very far did it?"

"So why are you so hung up on him anyway? It's obvious he doesn't share the attraction," Tahno pointed out.

Korra sighed forlornly and shrugged her shoulders. "It's complicated. We kind of have a history together," she replied, worrying her lower lip between her teeth.

"You mean… something happened between you two once?" he furthered, feeling like his head was about to blow from the injustice.

Her bright blue eyes suddenly became distant, staring off into the past with heartache and pain. "You could say that," she whispered with a slight tremble. "But I don't want to talk about it."

Spending time with Korra was like being on a rollercoaster. A minute ago he was soaring with the idea that he was gaining ground over Mako, but now he felt his heart plummeting once again.

"So you don't really seem like yourself today either. What's going on with you? I feel deprived of my daily dose of wit and sarcasm," Korra implored him, changing the subject.

The morning's events with his parents and sister flashed through his mind for the hundredth time that day, and he frowned at the memory. "I got into a fight with my parents this morning over... school. They have a very different view of what my future should be and what colleges I should go to," Tahno explained, purposefully leaving out that it was really the topic of Sura that had caused the conversation to escalate. He wasn't sure how best to explain about his little sister, and technically, he wasn't allowed to tell people about her.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Korra asked, genuinely interested.

"Work with music," he replied honestly.

"Really? Are you even in any music classes now?" Korra asked, her curiosity peaked.

"No, but what I really want to focus on is writing and production," he expounded.

"Oh, that's awesome. I hope it works out for you and that you're happy. Of course if you ever get to meet the great Casper Denali you'll have to introduce me," Korra said, grinning openly at him.

He favored her with a tender smile of his own. "So how are you planning on wowing the world with your awesome skills?" he asked.

She straightened up in the water and rested her back against a lane rope as she answered thoughtfully, "Well, my grandmother is an old world medicine woman, and my mom's a nurse. I'd love to do something medical too, but I'm leaning more towards physical therapy with therapeutic massage and everything. And I think it'd be cool work with athletes."

Tahno slung his arm over the lane rope next to her as he regarded her in playful skepticism. "Hmm, didn't really take you for the nurturing type."

She huffed in exaggerated annoyance, splashing lightly at his face. "Hey, I'll have you know my Nana says I'm a natural healer and that I have gifted hands."

"Gifted hands, huh? You don't say?" he murmured, lifting his eyebrows and lowering his voice provocatively. "Now _that_ I gotta see for myself."

She gasped as her cheeks flushed pink, but her laughter still rang out through the echoing room. He came to the fast conclusion that he could listen to that sound all day and never get tired of it. She tilted her head to level her gaze at him, and the next comment he had ready suddenly died on his tongue. The light reflected off the water and onto her mocha skin, making it glow. Her vivid eyes sparkled and her lips were curved into a tantalizing smile. How did she do this to him? He had barely known her for a week, and yet she was turning his god awful day into pretty damn good one. '_Don't question it,'_ his heart told him. The irresistible urge to kiss her became too demanding to withstand. He began leaning his head down, inching closer and closer, his eyelids falling closed as hers did the same.

A loud, shrill blast from a whistle brought the heavenly moment thudding back to earth. Faster than he could blink, Korra had lunged herself away from him.

"Okay kiddos, pool's closing! Out of the water!" the coach yelled at them as she entered the room.

Before Tahno knew it, Korra was out of the pool and gathering her things. He followed suit, and they didn't speak another word to each other about what had just happened, or rather, what _hadn't_ happened. They did, however, share one last evocative glance before going into their respective locker rooms.

Later, Tahno had to go back onto the pool deck because he had forgotten to replace the time clock in the closet. As he did, his eyes zeroed in on the bench next to the girls' locker room as something caught his eye. He walked over and picked it up, recognizing it as Korra's armband. He held it carefully, running his fingers over the embroidered leather. It was really a beautiful piece of art. Getting an idea, he instantly pulled out his phone to make a quick call.

"Sasha, it's Tahno. Do you know where Korra lives?" he asked while briskly making his way to his car out in the parking lot.

"Yeah, but why do you want to know?"

"She forgot something at school," he answered, holding the armband reverently.

"And you want to bring it back to her personally?" Sasha inquired.

"Yes," Tahno said before even thinking twice about it.

"Okay then. Awesome," Sasha muttered in astonishment before proceeding to fill him in on how to get to Korra's house.

During the entire drive, Tahno kept the armband clutched in his hand, unwilling to let it go until he was able to lay eyes on its owner again. He found the long, twisting driveway amongst the thick forest outside of town and made his way to the house to be met by a rather large, log cabin-like structure. As he walked up to the front door he noticed an array of baby toys on the porch swing. His eyebrows knitted together as his brain began to race. He could have sworn that Korra had once said something about being an only child. So did she have a baby? Maybe she was just babysitting. '_Please just let her be babysitting'_, he begged silently. He knocked softly just in case said baby might be sleeping, and a frazzled-looking Korra answered the door with a small infant resting on her shoulder.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" Korra asked softly, clearly confused by his presence at her door.

"You left this in the aquatic center," Tahno replied just as softly so he wouldn't wake the baby, holding her armband out to her.

Korra's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped as she gasped slightly. She reached out and took it from him before clasping it to her chest. She breathed out a long sigh of relief, and Tahno watched with concern as a single tear escaped her eye.

"Thank you so much for bringing it back to me; I thought I was losing my mind without it," Korra expressed earnestly, looking back up at him, her eyes shining so bright with gratitude and happiness that Tahno had to mentally prod himself to keep breathing.

"If you want, I could put it back on since it looks like you have your hands full," Tahno offered as he gestured toward the baby.

Korra leaned her head back to peek at the baby's face and then back at him and nodded.

"Sure, seam goes on the inside," she consented as she shifted the baby so that she was cradling her in left arm in order to enable him full access to her right arm.

He nodded and peered at the baby again, noting the darker skin tone which exactly matched Korra's, but the full head of thick, straight black hair reminded him of Mako's hair. His heart twisted uncomfortably in growing anguish as the possibility of the baby belonging to Korra increased in his head, with Mako being the father. Now he had a whole new set of reasons to hate Mako's guts. What kind of an asshole gets a girl like Korra pregnant, then blatantly flirts with her friends? He swallowed around the large knot that suddenly formed in his throat as he very carefully slid the material up her arm into its proper place.

"Thank you," Korra whispered again as she leaned forward and gave him a one armed hug.

He wrapped one arm around her waist lightly, being mindful of the baby in her arm. But just as he pulled away, the baby woke up and looked at Korra with a matching pair of bright blue eyes and smiled while cooing sleepily.

"Well hello there, sweetheart," Korra cooed back, shifting the baby again so that she was facing Tahno.

"Tahno, this is Sakari, by the way," Korra said before turning her attention back to the baby who was trying to grab and pull at her hair.

"She's beautiful," Tahno commented as he looked at her. "How old is she?"

"She is... 3 months old," Korra answered as she smiled brightly at the baby.

"She's so small," Tahno noted.

"Well, she comes from a family of rather small babies, plus she's on formula so..."

"Does that really make a difference?" he asked.

"In my experience, yeah. Usually babies who are breastfed are a bit bigger, but she's healthy and strong, so you can't ask for much more than that," Korra responded before the sound of a phone ringing came from inside the house. "I have to go. Thank you for bringing my armband to me; it means a lot. I'll see you in school tomorrow, okay?" Korra said quickly as she began to close the door.

"Bye," Tahno muttered as she shut the door.

As he pulled out of the driveway, he passed Mako and Bolin in Mako's car as they were about to turn in. He and Mako exchanged death glares as he drove by. So, he had done something to piss off that douchebag too? Good. As Tahno returned home, his mind was reeling. He locked himself up in his room and brooded while he paced the floor. He didn't usually have a tendency for physical violence, but he would have given anything to punch Mako's lights out right then and there.

His phone rang suddenly and he looked at it to see that it was Sasha calling.

"Yeah," he snapped unintentionally as he answered.

"Well hello to you too, sunshine. What's going on? I thought you would be on cloud nine for getting back on Korra's good side. She just called me, crying because you took the trouble to bring her precious armband back to her."

"Korra was crying?" Tahno asked as he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Yeah, because you did something truly nice for once. Seriously, what is going on?"

"Mako knocked Korra up," Tahno suddenly spat out before he could stop himself. It felt like poison in his mouth.

Then he listened as Sasha gasped loudly. "No! There's no way. How would you even know? When would this have happened? Recently?" she demanded.

"Apparently about a year ago, because I met their daughter when I went over there. Korra came to the door holding this tiny, 3 month old baby girl who looked exactly like her, blue eyes and all but with Mako's hair. I mean she even told me _today_ that '_**something happened' **_between them. I think a baby would definitely constitute as 'something'," Tahno explained as he felt his anger building up again.

"Whoa, hold on a moment. What _exactly_ did she say?" Sasha questioned, still skeptical.

Tahno reiterated everything Korra had admitted about Mako earlier that day to Sasha as she listened patiently, feeling a nearly overwhelming burning sensation in the back of his throat as he spoke.

"But she still never said anything about them having a baby together, did she?" Sasha reasoned.

"No, but I can't necessarily blame her. Who'd want to?"

"Well, I can tell you're genuinely upset, and you would _never_ let anything get to you if you thought it was unfounded. All I can say is… wow. If it's true, then no wonder she was so heartbroken when he started flirting with Asami. I never would have pegged her for the young, unwed teenage mother type. I mean she's _**never**_ said anything, but I guess when you move to a new school, the fewer rumors the better. I was even in her room and I didn't see any baby stuff... Holy shit, Tahno, I didn't see this coming. What are you going to do?"

"I… I don't know," Tahno stumbled as he ran his hand over his face. "Just don't say anything to anyone, _**please**_? Not even Asami. If Korra wants to keep this a secret, let her," he urged, hoping that for once Sasha would listen to him.

"You got it. Damn, now I hate the sleazebag even more," Sasha grumbled. "Look, I have to go, and I doubt you've even said hi to Sura yet. You should go do that."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Sasha. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

_Author's Notes-_

_Major thanks to Alaburn for writing that scene with Tahno's parents and Sura, you amaze me as well as being the best beta ever. _

_and...OH SNAP! A baby! Well that certainly complicates things. _

_Thanks for reading, reviews are love. _


	6. Misunderstanding vs Truth

We Love the Water

Chapter 5

Korra was wrapped in a conundrum. Ever since she had arrived at school that day, something had felt off. She finally narrowed it down to the way she was being treated by the two people she had been spending a lot of time with lately: Sasha and Tahno. Throughout the day Sasha kept giving her these… looks, like Korra was a stranger she was trying to figure out. Granted, they hadn't known each other very long, but still, they were becoming fast friends and already got along like sisters, or at least Korra thought they were. There were even a couple of times when Sasha acted like there was something she wanted to say to her, only to stop herself at the last second. As bewildering as this development was, it was _nothing_ compared to the way Tahno was treating her.

For one thing he had barely spoken to her all day, when normally he seemed to have an allergy to passing her in the hallway without giving her at least some kind of snarky remark. But today she couldn't even instigate a smirk from him, not that she hadn't tried. For every flirty comment laced with sarcasm Korra made for his benefit, he simply gave her a polite, straightforward answer and a smile. Was the flu going around? However, it was the way he had been looking at her that really unsettled her. Whenever they talked there seemed to be an invisible shield concealing whatever his true thoughts and feelings were from her. And there were other moments when she caught him staring at her from across a room when he thought she wasn't looking. During those times the expression in his eyes appeared to be flickering from one emotion to another, although she might have just been imagining it. Sometimes the look was that of concern or worry, sometimes there was a set to his jaw and a determined furrow of his brow as though he were making his mind about something, and then there moments when he just looked at her with raw, unadulterated longing. But as soon as he realized she could see him, the mask slid back into place and he averted his gaze as though he was… remorseful? Nervous? Shy? What the fuck was wrong with him?

On Tuesdays Korra had a free period after lunch, and it was then that she decided she desperately needed some fresh air. The woods surrounding the school stretched on for miles, and she figured the tranquility that nature afforded was worth the risk of getting lost as she slipped into the heavy shade. She walked until there were enough trees between her and the school to block her from view, and then she was running. She dodged, twisted, and jumped through the clustered forest, her athletic agility keeping her from falling flat on her face as she raced through all the dense foliage.

Once she felt the edge of her frustration wear off, she stopped to take in her surroundings. Immediately she picked up the sound of running water, and before she had even time to process it, her feet were already taking her in the direction of the sound, and soon she came upon a small clearing with a creek. At this particular spot the water was running down a series of rock ledges in a gentle cascade and was situated by a large, flat formation of stone, perfect for sitting on. Korra stood gazing at this serene alcove in wonder, until she was suddenly interrupted by approaching footsteps, and she turned just as Tahno appeared from behind the trees. He stopped walking abruptly, seeming just as stunned at finding her there as she was at seeing him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Me? What are _you_ doing here? Did you follow me?" she rejoined suspiciously.

He shook his head and seemed to recover from his initial shock. "No. I didn't know you were here. I just come here sometimes to clear my head."

"Oh. How long have you known about this place?"

"A couple of years. Look, if you're busy I'll uh… leave you alone," he eased carefully as he began backing away, the invisible mask firmly back in place.

"Freeze," Korra commanded sternly as he instantly obeyed. "You're not going anywhere. We need to talk."

"Sure," he replied while shrugging casually but Korra could still pick up on all the tension he seemed to store in his frame. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to know what's going on and why you're being so weirdly… _nice_."

He pressed his lips together uncomfortably before saying, "I don't know what you mean."

"I mean ever since I showed up at White Falls, there's been this competitiveness between us, like a… I don't know… a battle of wills or something, and it was actually _fun_. But then today you're just being nothing but plain nice to me. And not a 'hey, I like you' kind of nice, or even 'I would really like to see you naked' kind either."

She paused for a breath as his cheeks darkened slightly, but then continued, "But it's more like you think you have to be nice because you feel sorry for me or like you feel guilty about something, and I have no idea why. It really meant a lot to me when you brought my arm band to me yesterday. Did I go too far when I hugged you or something?" Korra asked, desperate for an answer.

Tahno dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket and smiled placidly at her. "No, you didn't, and I'm sorry if I've done anything to offend you. The last thing I want to do is upset you or make you feel uncomfortable."

Korra threw up her hands in outrage as she yelled at him, "What the HELL is wrong with you?! You and Sasha have been creeping me out all day, and I'm SICK of it! I actually _miss_ you being a smartass to me, so PLEASE, tell me what I've done so I can fix it and get you to go back to the way you were!"

Tahno's stiff manner finally broke under the barrage of words she was throwing at him. "It's nothing you've done; it's what that waste of fucking flesh Mako did!" he bit back at her suddenly.

"Mako?" she echoed in confusion. "What in the world did he do to you?"

"Not what he's done to me, but what he's done to you! He knocked you up and left you! He ignores you all the time and even had the audacity to flirt with Asami Sato right in front of you!" Tahno roared as Korra became increasingly taken aback by his words. "You deserve better, Korra. So, _so_ much better than that."

"How on earth did you come to the conclusion that I got knocked up? And by Mako of all people?" Korra demanded.

"Because I saw the evidence with my own eyes! Sakari looks exactly like you, except for her hair which is just like Mako's. And the way I saw you hold her was so motherly and sweet… how could she _not_ be yours? Plus, you told me yourself that you two 'had a history' and that something happened between you two. Something that you can't even bring yourself to talk about," Tahno answered as if that explained everything.

He saw Korra's eyebrows knit together in confusion for a moment before she closed her eyes and groaned as she began pacing in front of him with her hands rubbing her face in irritation. Then she stopped and turned to face him again as she spoke with forced calm, "The reason Sakari looks like me is because she is my cousin's baby. I'm just Sakari's sometimes babysitter. The thing that happened between me and Mako was just a stupid misunderstanding, at least on my part. It was a few months ago and it was just the two of us hanging out, and we um… had some access to large amounts of alcohol. Long story short, Mako got completely hammered, and, being slightly inebriated myself, I ended up pouring my heart out to him, which led to us making out on the floor, and that was as far as it got. It wasn't exactly how I had imagined telling him how I felt, but it still felt special and I thought it meant that we were going to be together, but the next day he didn't even remember it. I was so humiliated that I never brought it up again. I mean, how _**insignificant**_ do my feelings have to be to him, and how _**bad**_ of a kisser must I be for him to remember _**nothing**_?!" Korra cried out, completely distraught and with her eyes so full of hurt that it was beginning to tear his heart into pieces. "And now you have been spending the whole day being so goddamn polite to me because you thought I was an unwed, teenage mother having a hard knock life, is that it?"

Tahno couldn't bring himself to answer, but his lack of answer was enough of a confirmation for her to throw her head back and groan again. "First of all, IF Mako had knocked me up, you can be assured that he is the kind of man who would actually marry me and own up to his responsibilities. Second, IF he wasn't and had tried to leave me after the fact, I would bury his sorry ass in the side of a hill. Third, I can't have a baby if I'm still a fucking virgin. You got that? Wait, is this _also _why you haven't so much as tried to make a move on me since yesterday? Because you thought I had a kid?"

"Look, I didn't know what to do, alright? I could handle the fact that you seemed taken up with that jerk, because I'm not one to be thrown off by a little competition. But when I, admittedly, jumped to conclusions about Sakari, I figured there was more than what met the eye about your relationship with Mako. Not that I was ready to throw in the towel or anything, but I decided that given the sensitive nature of the circumstances that I should ease up a little bit. I also rethought what happened that night at the party, and I wondered if the only reason you kissed me back was because you were all worked from Mako ignoring you."

Korra literally slapped her palm to her forehead. "No! I admit I was frustrated with him, I've been frustrated with him for _years_ for being the world's biggest idiot, but that is _**not**_ why I kissed you. I kissed you because I _**wanted to**_. Mashing lips with a sloppy, drunk Mako was _**nothing**_ compared to making out with you. With him it was all desperation on my part and complete lack of... well everything on his part. But with you..." Korra paused to bite her lip and to try to think of a way to say what she wanted without completely inflating his ego, her cheeks getting redder by the minute. "With you it was all fire and passion and so much burning desire I thought I was going to spontaneously combust any minute," she finally admitted as she felt her whole body blush. "But it doesn't matter anymore because you obviously think I'm a slut so just... forget it."

Korra turned to walk away but Tahno caught her arm. She allowed him to swivel her back around and even stared resolutely up into his eyes, ready to throw anything he said right back into his face.

"I _don't_ think you're a slut," he said slowly and steadily in the gentlest tone she had ever heard come from his lips. "I'm sorry, for everything, for making the wrong assumptions and most of all for hurting you."

If the tenderness in his deep, sultry voice wasn't enough to disarm her, than the soft caress of his hand on her jaw certainly was. The mask was gone from his face, and now she saw pure sincerity burning in his eyes with every word he said.

Her voice wobbled slightly as she muttered, "Just don't do it again, jackass."

With the thumb of the hand he was using to touch her face, he wiped a tear she hadn't even realized was tracking down her cheek as he answered, "I won't."

Her eyes lowered to glance at his mouth as their faces edged closer together, and she wondered uneasily if her kissing skills might suffer given her recent storm of emotions. But Tahno didn't kiss her. He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he mumbled into her hair, "I promise."

Korra sighed into his embrace and pressed her hands against the muscles of his back. "Thank you," she whispered back as she sniffed.

She never would have guessed how comfortable he was, nor that he had this warm, caring side to him that was so gentle and patient. Where did it come from, and who besides her even knew that it existed? Apparently no one at school did, given his reputation.

He slid a hand down the length of her hair before pulling back and asking her calmly, "You ready to back to school yet?"

She nodded wordlessly.

Then he quirked an eyebrow as he asked further, "Do you know how to get back?"

She surveyed their surroundings with dawning realization. "Uh… no," she replied before smiling apologetically.

Tahno returned it with a crooked smile of his own that made her heart beat faster. "Well then let's go," he said, offering his hand to her as he turned to go back.

Korra slid her palm into his, her grin spreading even more as they laced their fingers together and took their time getting back to campus.

"So why do I get the feeling Sasha has the same misunderstanding that you did?" Korra asked as they walked through the woods.

Tahno took a deep breath before he explained, "I might have told her about my suspicions and worded it in a way so that it came across as fact."

"Oh, well that explains it. I'll make sure she knows the truth when we get back." Korra said as she continued to walk on the trail back to the school. "So can you do me a favor?" she asked after a few more moments.

"Sure."

"Next time you think something is up or something is wrong or that I'm mainlining cocaine or secretly a superhero..." Korra started before Tahno snorted a laugh at her choice of imagined circumstances. "Come to me and ask me yourself instead just assuming things, I'm practically an open book," she requested as she walked along beside him.

"Well if you recall, I did ask you in the pool, but I was shut down," Tahno reminded her.

"Ok, so besides this one thing, which happened to be my deepest darkest secret, I'm an open book. But can you blame me for not wanting to talk about it?"

"Nope, can't blame you at all. Although I still believe Mako is a fucking waste of flesh," he countered.

"I suppose you're allowed to think what you want about him. You're wrong, but you're allowed," Korra corrected as they came up to the school and managed to slip back into the student population without being noticed.

The next day Korra didn't show up at school, and Tahno felt like smacking himself in the head for not having her number yet, keeping him from contacting her. He also wondered why her absence suddenly made White Falls Academy seem so… bland. As the day was coming to a close, Tahno found Sasha making her way outside but managed to corner her before she left.

Sasha smirked knowingly as he approached her. "What's the matter, Malek? You look a little antsy."

"Since you obviously seem to be able to read my mind, go ahead and answer the question I'm about to ask," he responded casually.

"She's just out sick, and I'm actually supposed to go drop her homework off to her, but considering my aversion to those that are under the weather, if you would be a dear and deliver it for me that would be awesome," Sasha prompted as she handed him a folder.

"I don't know. I'm pretty busy today," Tahno drawled with sarcastic indifference.

"Oh please, you're already routing out the way to her house in your head," Sasha pointed out snidely.

"Fine, but you owe me," he warned her.

"More like _you_ owe _me_," she retorted in an off-hand tone as she rolled her eyes and strutted over to her motorcycle.

Tahno drove the surprisingly easy to remember route to her house. As he went to knock on the door, he suddenly a large thud on the other side of the door followed by a series of deep, booming barks, which he registered were coming from about eye-level. '_That dog's got to be huge'_, he thought to himself.

"Down, Naga!" he heard Korra yell from behind the door, feeling relieved at the sound of her voice, even though it clearly had the exhausted sound of a sick person.

Korra opened the door wearing nothing but a skimpy tank top and a pair of extremely short shorts, baring her long, tan legs. Tahno would have let his eyes linger if it wasn't for another very loud, rather ferocious bark, and he instead forced his attention to focus on the biggest dog he had ever seen in his life as it made a lunge for him, and proceeded to jump with the most undignified yelp had _ever_ escaped his mouth.

"Jesus Christ! What is that thing?" he demanded as he struggled to regain his composure.

"It's my dog, Naga," Korra replied proudly, despite sounding nasally and fighting a giggle at his behavior.

"THAT is not a dog... that's a bear, lion, Chewbacca looking thing. You know when Thor went into a pet store looking for a horse? I think he could have ridden out of town on this if he had it." Tahno said as he eyed the beast warily. "Anyway, I got your homework here," Tahno explained as he gave her the folder.

"Korra? Who's at the door?" an older woman called out from the back of the house.

"Shit," Korra cursed under her breath and cringed slightly.

"You're not Bolin. Korra, who is this? Is this your new boyfriend?" the elderly lady asked with a friendly smile as she appeared at Korra's side, causing Korra's face to redden in a way that had nothing to do with her fever.

"No, Nana. This is Tahno, a friend from my new school who just came to give me my homework," Korra explained as she became increasingly embarrassed.

"Oh so _**this **_is Tahno," Nana repeated as she cocked an eyebrow at Korra and gave her an exaggerated wink.

"Come in, Tahno. Apparently Korra loses her manners when she's under the weather," Korra's nana invited as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him in the house with surprising strength, despite being a good deal shorter than him.

"But I'm sick!" Korra squeaked in protest.

"And I make the best preventive flu tea on the planet, which if you had drunken when I told you to, you wouldn't be sick," Nana chastised with an air of authority.

"Well I'm sure Tahno has other things he needs to do," Korra tried to argue, hoping to spare herself any more embarrassment.

"Not really," Tahno countered with a smug smile.

Korra narrowed her eyes warningly at him as he passed her in the hall. Suddenly, as the door was being closed, a breeze flew in and she became startlingly aware of the important fact that she was not wearing a bra. She quickly and awkwardly folded her arms over her chest, which only added to the amount of cleavage Tahno was without a doubt getting an eyeful of. She recalled him saying something about having a 'strong appreciation for that part of the anatomy'.

"Excuse me," Korra squeaked again as she practically ran up the stairs to put on a bra and some more modest clothing.

"Don't mind her, she's an odd duck. I'm Nana by the way, Korra's mother's mother," Nana introduced herself as she pulled him to the kitchen.

"Nice to meet you… Nana," Tahno said respectfully with a nod, sensing an ally.

"So if you're not Korra's boyfriend, does that mean you have one of your own?" Nana inquired bluntly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tahno asked, making sure he heard her correctly.

"Oh it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Your makeup really brings out your eyes," Nana replied in an attempt to compliment him.

Tahno, for all his grace and cool demeanor, blushed, stuttered, and stammered, "No, I'm straight."

"Then why the eyeliner? Is that what you young ones are into now? The guys looking like girls and vice versa?" Nana asked as she sat him down and moved across the kitchen to prepare the tea.

"Nana!" Korra chided from the door way, now donning sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt. "Isn't that a bit personal?" she added, feeling mortified that Tahno was being questioned about what she assumed was probably a touchy subject.

"People ask about your arm band and you are always more than happy to explain how you got it and why you wear it, as you should be. I'm just curious why your friend wears eye makeup," Nana reasoned.

"Maybe it's just a fashion statement, Nana," Korra defended as Tahno raised his eyebrows slightly at the reaction.

"What's a fashion statement?" A deep baritone seemed to boom into the room.

Tahno turned to see a massive, towering frame take up most of the door frame.

"Korra's guy friend from school wears eyeliner," Nana answered.

"Oh, I see. I'm Tonraq, Korra's father," the man replied as he eyed Tahno.

"I'm Tahno," he said as he stood and shook Tonraq's hand in a friendly gesture. "I brought Korra's homework to her."

As Korra's father returned the handshake, Tahno noticed the gun, Billy club, and a bottle of bear mace attached to Tonraq's belt, as well as the Park Ranger uniform and the Marine tattoo on one arm and the same tattoo that Korra had on the other arm. It wasn't every day that Tahno felt so intimidated. He suddenly remembered that Iroh had mentioned that his and Korra's dads had served in the Marines together.

"You got a last name, Tahno?" Tonraq inquired.

"Malek," Tahno answered quickly.

"Oh, you're Norah and Cohen's son," Tonraq replied with a smile of recognition.

"You know my parents?" Tahno asked incredulously.

"Oh yeah, we go way back actually. I don't know if you remember this but you and Korra walked down a wedding aisle together already," Tonraq supplied as he gave his daughter a wide smile and walked further into the room.

Korra sprayed her tea all over the room as she spit it out and started choking and sputtering.

"You ok there, sweetheart?" Tonraq asked as he roughly patted his daughter's back while grinning widely.

"Dad!" Korra sputtered as she fought to regain her breath, wishing more than ever that the earth would just open up and swallow her whole already.

"What? You were five, he was the ring bearer, and you were the flower girl," Tonraq said as he leaned on the counter before turning his attention to a surprised Tahno. "Although, I must say you were the most serious and uptight little kid I ever saw, but after a few hours of hanging out with Korra you seemed to loosen up a bit. And if I recall correctly, there was a nickname you called her... what was that? Do you remember, Nana?" Tonraq asked.

"Korra called him 'Pretty Boy' all night and he called her 'Pretty Girl', it was so adorable, remember?" Nana recalled fondly while Korra and Tahno seemed to have a moment of realization at the same time.

"Oh yeah, I hid underneath a table to get away from you because you were _so annoying,_" Tahno remembered with a wide grin.

"I was not!" Korra argued back as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"No, of course not, sweetie," Tonraq responded sarcastically as she scowled back up at him.

"Not funny," Korra challenged.

"Yes it is," Tonraq contradicted. "Now are you going to be better by Saturday?"

"I hope so. Sophia is supposed to come and show me how to make tamales," Korra replied wistfully.

"Saturday is when we're having a small family reunion," Nana elucidated to Tahno.

"Wait, aren't tamales a Mexican food?" Tahno asked, confused.

"Yeah, I think so," Korra said, shrugging.

"I thought you were Alaskan Native."

"Oh yeah, Dad is but my mom's side of the family married into just about every other culture on the planet," Korra explained.

"It helps when you have a thousand siblings," Tonraq poked before Nana smacked him.

"Seven is not a thousand," Nana refuted while waving her cooking spoon in his face like it was deadly weapon, which just earned a slight chuckle from Korra and Tonraq. "You should come, Tahno, and bring your family. I haven't seen them in ages. It's not _just _going to be our family; we have a lot of friends coming too," Nana added, changing her attention to Tahno.

"I'm pretty sure my parents already have plans," Tahno responded somberly as he remembered that the important dinner party was scheduled for the same night, and that his mother would be spending the whole day preparing for it.

"But what about you? You are more than welcome to come, the more the merrier," Nana invited.

Tahno thought guiltily about the dinner party his father had informed him that he was required to attend, but then he looked at Korra to see her staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes, and he tried to imagine who could resist such a face.

"It's kind of an all-day thing, but it'll be fun. And Iroh and Asami are supposed to come along with most of Iroh's family, so it's not like you won't know anyone. You should come," Korra said, smiling warmly at him.

He smiled back. "Sure, what time?"

* * *

_Author's notes- _

_Alaburn, you wonderful beta you. I don't deserve your greatness, really, I don't._

_Big thanks to all of you who reviewed, and the Guest(s) also, thank you. Reviews help keep Alaburn and I going cause she sees them too. _

_So, big sigh of relief right? Not Korra and Mako's kid, but I had you going huh? And what's this? Tahno choosing Korra over his parents? Maybe he can fit both things into his day, maybe not. _

_Also I saw a post on Tumblr of these pictures of Tibetan Mastiffs and someone commented "Thor, we found one for you to ride!" And I LMAO, literally. So since Naga is a BEAST anyway, I figured in this story she can be a Tibetan Mastiff mix and of course be her big white self_

_ w w w.d eat ha ndtax es ma g (.com) 193237/10-cool-qualities-of-the- tibetan-mastiff-the-most- expensive-dog-in- the-world/ that is a link with spaces and parenthasies so you can see what I saw, obviously Korra didn't pay that much for hers, actually she got Naga for free in return for medicine to a dying woman. _

_Anyway, thanks for reading, reviews are love._


	7. Small Family Gathering

We Love the Water

Chapter 6

Saturday arrived and Tahno was able to escape his house a little before 11am, telling his mother that he had to meet up with some friends and that he would _try_ to get back in time for their dinner. He called Korra, who was under the name _Pretty Girl_ in his phone, and asked if it was too early to come over. She assured him that it wasn't and encouraged him to hurry up.

Tahno drove to Korra's house and couldn't stop smiling the whole way there. He slowed down as soon as he turned onto her road and immediately noticed the great mass of cars parked up and down the driveway and on the road.

"Small party my ass," Tahno muttered to himself before spotting Iroh and Asami getting out of their car and walked over to catch up with them.

"Well this is a surprise," Asami greeted him as she winked playfully.

"Yeah well, stranger things have happened," Tahno replied drolly as they walked down the long driveway to where dozens of people were gathered around the house. "Korra's 'Nana' told me this was supposed to be a _small_ family gathering," Tahno remarked as he eyed the huge crowd.

"This _is_ small. Their _big_ family gatherings have to be hosted in national parks. It's a large family," Iroh clarified.

"Seriously?" Asami asked.

"Oh yeah, but the food is amazing. Korra's family knows how to throw down if you know what I mean. Senna, Korra's mom, has a bunch of sisters and brothers that all married into different cultures, so whenever they get together it looks like a United Nations gathering. And after a while the languages get mixed up and blended along the way so keep an ear out. Also, just beware of Korra's cousins. Some of them are _really_ crazy so... yeah. Just be careful," Iroh warned as they got up to the house and let themselves in.

Tahno stepped through the door to be greeted by the sight of a rather packed living room full of toddlers, babies, and their moms. He recognized Sakari, and the woman holding her looked nearly identical to Korra, except she had green eyes. He winced in discomfort and quickly averted his gaze as he remembered the mistake he had made the last time he saw Sakari. Then he followed Iroh and Asami into the kitchen where women of various ages were cooking and talking enthusiastically. There were three women in particular who could have all passed for Korra, but they had their backs to him. They all had about the same size, height, skin tone, and hair color, and were laughing with each other and dancing to the song on the radio.

Tahno took a moment to smirk in appreciation before interrupting them, "So this is where all the beautiful women congregate."

Korra's female relatives all turned in the direction of the smooth, male voice and began giggling, but she took a moment to control the ecstatic smile that suddenly exploded on her face and to calm her breathing before slowly turning around to peer at him with a sideways grin and her arms covered in filling. His eyes finally targeted her face, and he smiled back as he gave her body an obvious once over.

"Ever the charmer, Tahno," Korra quipped as she rolled her eyes.

"Well how could I resist? It's true isn't it?" Tahno replied before Nana came over and hugged him. "Hi, Nana. You're looking lovely as always," Tahno complimented, causing Nana to preen a little.

"Oh, Korra was right about you," Nana tittered as she gave Tahno a knowing smile.

"Oh yeah? Care to fill me in?" Tahno asked before chancing a look at Korra, who was giving Nana a warning look and shaking her head slightly.

Nana just grinned in response as she chuckled mischievously and led him out of the kitchen. They crossed the back porch where Iroh and Asami were happily situated in a porch swing, and out to the back yard where Tonraq and several other men were grilling, smoking, and frying just about everything under the sun.

"Gentlemen, this is my new grandson, Tahno..." Nana started before she went on saying something in a language that Tahno couldn't begin to understand but could tell by her tone that it was some kind of threat. The men eyed him before nodding and going back to what they were doing.

"So as you can see we have a little bit of everything going on..." Nana said as she gestured to the rest of the massive yard where a large party tent was set up. Buffet tables were being tended to on one side of the yard with the rest broken up in a volleyball court, a mini soccer field, a trampoline area, and just general organized chaos.

"Yeah, I can see that," Tahno responded, feeling overwhelmed by the fact that most of these people were related to each other.

"Well, dear, I have to get back, but Korra should be done soon. Have fun," Nana said with a wink as she left him there, standing awkwardly alone in a sea of people.

After about a second, Tahno steeled his resolve and headed toward the soccer area where he was able to join in the game easily enough. Given the unseasonable heat of the late fall day,

Tahno soon stripped off his shirt as did the other male players as they got more and more into their game.

Korra finished with her cooking duties as fast as she could and practically ran out of the house to look for Tahno. She spotted him playing soccer and also saw how some of her sluttier cousins were drooling from the sidelines. '_Oh no you don't,' _Korra thought to herself as she marched up to them.

"So any clue what his name is?" Natalie asked to the group.

"Does it matter? He's built like a god," Tatiana giggled.

"His _name_ is Tahno Malek," Korra spoke up before any of them could make any more remarks about his body, which was currently glistening with a nice sheen of sweat in the noonday sun, accentuating his very built if only slightly lean upper body.

"Yeah, I can totally see myself screaming that later," Tatiana purred.

"Oh, me too," Natalie agreed.

"No, no you can't," Korra argued, feeling jealousy and possession bubble up in her chest.

"Why? Is he gay? Cause I've turned them before..." Tatiana prodded.

"What is wrong with you? I can't believe we're even related. No, he isn't gay," Korra corrected while trying to swallow the bile back down her throat.

"So what's the problem?" Natalie asked.

"He's taken," Korra blurted.

"By who?" Tatiana demanded.

"By me, so hands off," Korra warned with her hands on her hips.

"You? What happened to Mako?" Natalie asked.

Korra hesitated as she tried to come up with an answer.

"I happened, obviously," Tahno drawled as he suddenly appeared before them in all his glory, and with a smile that practically screamed sex as he winked at Korra, who was doing good by just remembering how to breathe at the moment.

"You're right, there's _no comparison. _I'm Tatiana," Tatiana said smoothly as she introduced herself.

Tahno simply nodded in indifference, not even bothering to shake her hand before he put his shirt back on and looped an arm around Korra's waist and pulled her away.

"I'm thirsty," Tahno stated as he allowed her to pull him toward an assortment of coolers. "So I'm taken, huh?" Tahno asked cheekily after a few moments which caused Korra to blush profusely.

"Look, my cousins would screw anything with a penis that is even half alive and aren't shy about it, so saying you're my boyfriend to spare you the craziness of my cousins and probably a few STD's is simply an act of humanity," Korra explained as she watched him out of the corner of her eye and noticed his eyebrows shooting up.

"Right," Tahno replied sarcastically, not buying her excuse for a moment. He let it slide, however, because frankly, if he was given any license to keep in constant contact with her all night, he was going to keep it. "So I guess to make sure your little '_white lie_' sticks we should probably at least _**act**_ the part right?" Tahno questioned, his voice low and sultry as Korra's knees were weakening by the second.

"Well, within reason. I mean, I don't want your tongue down my throat the whole time or you feeling me up in front of everyone; that would be overkill and _just a tad _inappropriate," Korra countered smoothly despite her blushing cheeks.

Tahno hummed in agreement but stole a quick kiss anyway.

"How's that?" he asked with a smug smile.

"Damn you and your perfect... everything," Korra grumbled, feigning irritation but unable to wipe the smile off her face.

The call to lunch came through, and Tahno was blown away by not only the variety of food but also just the sheer amount which was enough to feed a small country. While Tahno and Korra ate lunch, a little girl came up to Korra and whispered something in her ear.

"Did you bring your bathing suit?" Korra asked and the little girl nodded profusely.

"Well, what about everyone else? It wouldn't be fair for you and me to go swimming if they all can't join us," Korra pointed out, getting Tahno's full attention. He gave Korra a questioning look to which she just winked back. "How about you go see who else brought a bathing suit and get back to me, okay?" Korra said as the little girl nodded and ran off.

"So I take it there is a body of water nearby," Tahno ventured before Korra clapped sarcastically.

"Very astute of you to figure that out, _dear,_" Korra teased. "It's a small pond, more of mud hole than anything, can't be more than four feet deep," she further explained.

"Mud, you say? There wouldn't be some wrestling going on in that mud would there? Perhaps I could talk your cousins into..." Tahno started to say before Korra leveled him with a glare that promised bodily harm if he finished that sentence, but he still smirked victoriously.

The little girl came back and said that most of them brought their bathing suits and that they had all promised to be good.

"Okay fine, give me time to get changed, okay?" Korra said as she finished eating.

"What about me?" Tahno asked. "There wasn't anything in the invitation that said to bring a bathing suit."

"I have extra swim trunks. You could borrow one if it doesn't weird you out," Korra offered.

"That works," He complied with a nod as he followed her back into the house.

Korra got to the stairwell and turned around. "Wait here," she ordered.

"Why?"

"Because my dad is the only guy over the age of five allowed upstairs."

"That's not fair," he argued.

"I know, but it's the rules. You got a problem with it, take it up with him," she called back over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.

Tahno pouted a bit before he looked around at the surprisingly empty living room and took a chance by stalking up the stairs. He figured her room was the one with the blue door and softly knocked, which caused it to open slightly, revealing Korra in just a bikini, bent over, and digging through a dresser.

"Yeah?" she answered without looking up from the drawer.

"That's a good look for you," Tahno purred as he came in, causing Korra to gasp and whip around to face him.

"Tahno! What are you doing up here?! I told you to stay down stairs," she hissed, keeping her voice lowered to a harsh whisper.

"So I like to live dangerously and break the rules, making me the bad boy, and I thought girls loved the bad boy," he stated while echoing her whisper.

"I swear, if anyone catches you up here I will not come to your rescue," Korra warned him as she went back to digging through the drawers before pulling out another pair of swim trunks. "Okay, you have three options: the red and black, the green and tan, or the blue and gray," Korra listed as she held them up.

"The green and tan pair looks like I'll drown in them," Tahno noted.

"That's because they are Bolin's," Korra supplied.

Tahno narrowed his eyes at the red and black pair. "Are the red ones Mako's?" he asked with a clenched jaw.

"Yeah, red is his favorite color," Korra answered guiltily.

"I'll take the blue. Burn the red ones; they're wasting space just like their owner," he answered curtly.

"What? I'm not burning perfectly good clothes. Get over it, it's just a pair of swim trunks," she argued as she tossed him the blue trunks.

"Korra, holding on to things that belong to him isn't good for you," he tried to reason with her gently.

Korra just huffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance as she put the clothes away. "You can change in my bathroom," she offered as she pointed to the door across the hallway, changing the subject slightly.

He kept his serious gaze on her for one more moment before turning into her bathroom to change. He tried to memorize all the little details about it, like how it was mostly blue and had pictures of the ocean on the walls while actually smelling like a flower garden next to the ocean. It was a rather large bathroom, with a separate shower and deep tub that looked like it would be big enough for two. He smiled mischievously as his brain supplied him with an overabundance of images of Korra in said bathtub. Then he hurriedly tried to force the images out of his head before rejoining Korra in her bedroom.

"Hurry up," she complained from outside the door as Tahno opened it, holding his folded clothes.

"Where should I put these?" he asked.

"Actually, do you mind if I wash them? No offense, but you worked up quite a sweat earlier, and nothing is better than fresh clothes after a swim," Korra offered as she passed him and got some towels out of closet in the bathroom.

"Go for it, there's nothing like a domestically inclined fake girlfriend calling the shots," he said wryly, earning a scoff for his comment. He grinned shamelessly, and then noticed a variety of oddly shaped vials and jars on one of the shelves. "What are these?" he inquired as he pointed them out.

"Perfumes from France. One of my aunts works for _Nez,_ and those are the 'rejects', but they still smell amazing, like this one..." Korra said as she pulled out a small vial with a code on it and carefully took out the rubber stopper and handed it to him. "This one's my favorite."

Tahno sniffed it and his mouth started to water. "Yeah that smells... absolutely amazing," he managed to say, trying to keep his voice level even though his brain had been rendered to lustful putty by just a whiff of the stuff.

He made a mental note to look that one up later to see if he could order a gallon of it for her. He watched, mesmerized as she inhaled the scent herself and smiled and closed her eyes in bliss before restoring the rubber stopper and putting it back in its proper place.

"Come on, Pretty Boy,I'm sure they're going to form a search party in a minute, and we _really_ cannot get caught up here," Korra said as she took his clothes from him and handed him a towel and went downstairs.

He followed after a minute and managed to get back down the stairs without getting caught. He saw Korra in the backyard, walking toward a trail into the woods with a group of kids circling around her while a group of guys stalked behind her. Tahno didn't like the feeling that landed in his gut, and he took off after her. He arrived just in time to see two of them pick her up and throw her into the water as she squealed in protest. Then she rose from the water with a narrowed gaze but a smile that promised revenge. Tahno watched as Korra seemed to walk on the water to get back at them and then proceeded to wrestle them and throw them into the water before an all-out mudslinging contest started and one of them yelled 'MUD FIGHT' and before Tahno knew it he was surrounded by all her cousins and an outright mud _war_ was being waged and only the smaller children were spared. Tahno found himself back to back with Korra as they fought off all the attackers.

"We make a good team," Korra told him over her shoulder as she threw a handful of mud at one of her cousins.

"Yeah, we do," Tahno agreed as he scooped up two handfuls of mud and handed her one of them. They shared a grin before double teaming on the one of the guys who had thrown her in the water in the first place.

After they had exhausted themselves, they made their way back to the party. Korra asked her dad if he could lift the rule on guys upstairs because they needed showers. He agreed but still kept an eye on all of them. Tahno was able to use Korra's shower and found a surprise when stepped out and looked at the fogged mirror. His initials, as well as Korra's, were written in the corner of the mirror in Korra's handwriting. He genuinely smiled at the discovery and wrote 'always' with his finger under it and wondered what Korra's reaction would be when she saw it. He got dressed and checked his phone, seeing three missed calls from his father and a text saying the party they were hosting was getting underway and that he needed to come home immediately.

"Oh, what a shame, I had my phone on silent and lost track of time and won't see this for another few hours," Tahno muttered snidely to himself as he slipped the phone back into his pocket and pulled his shirt on.

With a start, he noticed that his shirt seemed to have taken on Korra's scent, and he pulled the material up to his nose and inhaled deeply, allowing the scent to wash over him and instill a sense of calm that his soul didn't often get to feel, especially lately. He looked back at his reflection and noticed his eyeliner had washed off. He frowned and went through her make up bag on her bathroom counter but didn't find any. '_Damn_', he thought to himself before he walked out to find Korra.

"Do you have any eyeliner?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah. Feeling naked without it?" Korra teased before she saw that her words were ringing true. "Oh, sorry, follow me," she replied as she went back upstairs and into her room and dug into another department bag and dug out a handful of them, all with the plastic seals still on.

"Sasha and Asami bought me a bunch of eyeliner, but I don't have the faintest clue how to put it on and make it look good, so I hope one of these will do," she informed him, handing them to him.

He quickly went through them to find one that would do. "Didn't your mom or one of them show you how to put it on?" Tahno questioned as he opened the eyeliner and walked to her bathroom to put it on.

"Sasha tried, but I lost patience with myself and haven't tried since. And have you seen my mom? She _rarely_ wears makeup. But I do have a question for you if you don't mind," Korra said as she leaned against the door frame of her bathroom and watched him apply the eyeliner with curiosity.

"Ask away," he responded.

"Asami said something about you wearing eyeliner since middle school. Why do you wear it? Is it really just a fashion statement or does it mean something?" she asked tentatively.

Tahno had to stop and actually think about it. "Well, the first time I wore it was for a Halloween party, and it was a big hit and so I wore it again and everyone seemed to like it, especially girls for some reason. But my dad hated it, and I've always been one for pissing him off and so I kept wearing it, but now I guess it's just... what I do," Tahno explained as he finished and looked at her. "Why? Does it bother you?" Tahno asked as he leaned on the counter.

Korra bit her lip and thought for a moment. "No, actually, it doesn't. It kind of reminds me of the war paint some of the men in my father's tribe wear, which makes it… suggestive and kind of… I don't know, aggressive or something, like a warrior or hunter. And Nana was right; it does bring out your eyes," she admitted.

"Do you like war paint?" he asked inquisitively as he lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you think?" Korra asked as she patted her arm band proudly, causing Tahno to chuckle and nod in agreement.

"Come here," Tahno softly requested and Korra complied. "Your turn, close your eyes."

Korra did as she was told as Tahno leaned in closely and expertly applied the eyeliner on her. One of his hands gently cradled the back of her neck, and her pulse suddenly took a leap as she felt how close their bodies were to each other. "And open," Tahno requested so he could line the lower lids, and then moved back a little when he was done. "There, what do you think?"

She turned to appraise her reflection and was pleased by how her eyes seemed much more pronounced. "Wow," she murmured, turning back to look up at him. "How does it do that?"

"Your eyes are already amazing by themselves. This just helps bring more attention to them," Tahno answered huskily as he looked at her admiringly and gave her a little half-smile.

She blushed a little at the compliment, and she was already feeling a bit overheated from Tahno's close proximity and the lingering, warm humidity from the shower. But now the temperature of the room felt even hotter than before as she took in his still damp hair that was tousled from being towel dried, the sexy smirk that was gracing his features, and the hooded stare he was now giving her. Her breaths had already begun getting heavier as he leaned in, framing her face as he suddenly claimed her lips in a possessive kiss. She moved her lips against his with an answering passion as he backed her up against the sink and let his hands travel down the sides of her body until they reached her hips, and then he lifted her so that she was sitting on the counter with his hips between her thighs. Korra wrapped her arms around his neck and arched against him to give them both closer access. He gave a small hum of appreciation that turned into gasp as she brazenly slid the tip of her tongue against the edge of his mouth.

He braced his arms on the counter on either side of her as he kissed her deeper, and she felt the muscles in his upper body stiffening as though he was gripping the edges with all his strength. She started running her hands in his hair, meeting his enthusiasm, when suddenly they heard Nana's voice calling out that dinner was ready. They broke apart, breathing heavily as they both tried to regain semblances of clear minds.

"How long are you going to stay?" Korra questioned him in a slightly shaky voice.

"As long as you'll let me," Tahno answered with equal unsteadiness.

She smiled softly and then hopped down to walk into her bedroom. "Did you bring a sweater? We're having a bonfire later but it's supposed to get cold out."

"No, but I would rather freeze than wear anything that belongs to Mako," he told her determinedly as he followed her.

"I don't think I own any articles of his clothing other than his spare pair of swim trunks. Calm down, you play the role of the jealous boyfriend a little too well," she noted.

"A role I wouldn't mind taking up on a more permanent basis," Tahno countered quickly which caused Korra's jaw to drop slightly at the admission before she closed her mouth and bit her lip again.

"I don't want a _jealous_ boyfriend. I want..." Korra started to say before they suddenly heard her father's booming voice calling her name. "We'll talk about this later," Korra said as she turned and went downstairs leaving Tahno to follow.

A little bit later, Korra and Tahno were seated at a table outside with Iroh and Asami as they hung out together and ate their food.

"I thought I would see Mako and Bolin here tonight, were they not invited?" Iroh asked Korra, who watched as Tahno clenched his jaw slightly at the mention of Mako's name.

"Bolin had a date with Sasha and I believe Mako was playing chaperone," Korra explained as she tried to stuff her mouth so she couldn't say anything else.

"Huh, well that's a shame on Bolin's part; he's actually fun to be around. Wish I could say the same for his brother," Iroh drawled, which caused Tahno to drop his fork and grasp Iroh's shoulder in a brotherly fashion.

"Thank you," Tahno said with a smile of relief before dropping his hand and returning it to his plate.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on Sammy. Sasha told me it was you who alerted her that night about him," Iroh stated sincerely.

"I keep an eye out for my friends," Tahno responded with a shrug.

Korra looked between them in confusion for a moment, but then excused herself to get more lemonade.

"Yeah, I really don't care for Mako. Any guy who openly flirts with another guy's girlfriend, _especially_ when said guy is right next to her can't be good. Why Korra even hangs out with him is beyond me. I can't stand him," Tahno elaborated.

"Me neither, but speaking of flirting, are you and Korra serious or what?" Iroh asked casually.

"I wish. I think she's still secretly hoping Mako will come to his senses and sweep her off her feet. The idea of that happening is enough for me to want to jump off a cliff, but I digress," Tahno replied darkly.

"Well, you're doing a good job of making her happy and forget about him so far, so keep it up. But I will warn you, Korra's like a little sister to me. If you continue to succeed in making her happy then you and I will never have a problem, but if you break her heart, you may never get to see your next birthday. Got that?" Iroh asked, making a point to look Tahno dead in the eyes.

"Loud and clear," Tahno assured him confidently with an easy smile.

"Good," Iroh said with a note of finality.

"She's coming back, so I suggest we change the subject," Asami alerted them as Korra made her way back to the table and sat down.

"So are you and Iroh staying for the bonfire?" Korra asked Asami.

"Yup," Asami confirmed with a smile.

"Awesome. I better go get that sweater for you now, Tahno. They'll be getting it started soon and it's definitely getting cooler out here," Korra said as she got up and went back into the house.

Tahno got up to follow her, only to see Mako, Bolin, and Sasha enter through the front door as he came in through the back.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Korra greeted them. "There's a ton of food in the party tent out back if you guys are still hungry, otherwise the bonfire is going to get lit in a little while. I have to get someone a sweater, I'll be right back," she told them as she continued up the stairs.

"Hey, Tahno. Fancy meeting you here," Sasha greeted brightly as he came into the room.

"Likewise," Tahno countered with a tight smile. "Bolin, good to see you again."

"Hey... Tahno..." Bolin said rather awkwardly as he watched Tahno and Mako lock eyes.

The room suddenly felt 20 degrees colder. Sasha pulled out her phone and started texting furiously. Korra came down the stairs at the same time that Asami and Iroh made it into the living room.

"Who's the sweater for?" Mako inquired, turning his attention from Tahno to Korra.

"It's for Tahno, he didn't bring a jacket and it's getting cold," Korra answered casually as she noticed him in the room and went and handed it to him. "I hope it'll be okay, it's one of my warmer hoodies," Korra informed him.

"It's fine, thank you," Tahno said kindly as he put it on.

"Well at least you're wearing _my_ hoodie, Korra. That should definitely keep you warm," Mako pointed out smugly, eliciting a scowl from Tahno.

"It is?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, I bought it two years ago. You told me to buy it because it was the last blue one, and blue is your favorite color," he recalled.

"Oh," Korra said as she immediately took it off, balled it up, and tossed it at him. "Well you can have it back; it took up too much room in my closet anyway," Korra said coldly as she passed him and went back up the stairs to get another sweater.

Now it was Mako's turn to scowl while Iroh and Tahno smiled smugly. Sasha and Asami simply exchanged concerned glances as they waited for Korra to come back down. The air was so thick with tension that you could cut it with a knife. Korra came back down a few moments later and handed him his swimming trunks too.

"Here, you can have these back too since you've never swam here anyway. Actually, I don't know why you even bothered keeping a pair here at all. You hate the water," Korra added as she walked past him again. "Alright, I'm getting hot wearing this hoodie indoors. Off to the bonfire," Korra ordered as Tahno wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked her out of the house.

"That was great," Tahno whispered into her. "If that didn't send him a message, I don't know what will. Did you see his face?" He could almost feel Mako boring a hole in the back of his head but couldn't really give a damn.

"Thanks, I don't think I would have had the nerve to do it if you hadn't been right there," Korra admitted.

"That's what I'm here for," he replied smoothly as he felt her loop her arm around his waist and snuggle closer to his body.

"What did you say to him when I went upstairs?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"I've never seen him that angry outside of the ring," Korra confessed.

"Ring?" Tahno repeated.

"Yeah, Mako has been training to be a MMA fighter since he was like, 14. Even I know when to not to push him. He has a fuse like you wouldn't believe," Korra warned him with real fear in her eyes.

"Has he ever done anything to you?" Tahno asked, his tone deadly.

"No, he would never, or at least I don't think he would if he liked the thought of living, and I certainly think he has enough common sense not to try anything here. My dad is a Park Ranger and former Marine along with Iroh's dad, and half my uncles are either cops or firemen, plus it looks like you have Iroh on your side," Korra answered as Tahno smiled and nodded in confirmation. "How did you get on his good side so fast?" Korra asked.

"He said that I make you happy," Tahno admitted as he watched her face to see if she would either confirm or deny it.

The gentle smile she gave him made his heart soar. They claimed two camp chairs by the bonfire and put them as close as physically possible. Iroh sat on Korra's other side with Asami next to him while Sasha and Bolin cuddled up together, leaving Mako as far away from Tahno as the group could collectively try.

Tahno's hand wandered over, searching for Korra's. When he found it, he dragged it into his lap and began playing idly with her fingers as the two of them savored the warmth from the fire, the smell of wood smoke, and the crackling pops as sparks flew up into the night sky. Korra had to bite her lip to keep from giggling as he stroked the center of her palm, and then sucked in a breath as his fingertips inched up the sensitive flesh of her inner arm under the sleeve of her sweater.

"Cut it out," she commanded half-heartedly.

"Why?"

"Because everything we do will be illuminated by a giant pile of flames."

"I thought that was the point of this whole fake dating thing. We have to put on a show so that your cousins won't attack me and try to have sex with me," he reminded her silkily.

"First of all, I may have been exaggerating just a tad, and secondly, whatever they see, my father will also see or at least hear about. So case closed," she whispered firmly as she pulled her hand away.

But then he just slid his hand across her back until his arm created a perfect nest for her shoulders to settle into, and he leaned in even closer. "We should revisit that bathroom counter sometime, don't you think? More privacy," he mumbled as he softly brushed his nose against the delicate shell of her ear and his breath floated against the exposed skin of her neck.

Chills went all through her, conflicting with the way his voice heated her insides. Reflexively, she bent her arm at the elbow and gripped the fingers of the hand that was draped across her shoulder in her own. He squeezed back gently, but didn't try anything else. They remained contentedly still as they relaxed against each other and watched the flames dance and eat up the wood. She heard one of her aunts began singing an old Native American song. It was slow and fluid like a lullaby, and Korra had heard it many times before. Some of the other women joined in, and she even found herself humming along to it. She glanced at Tahno's face to see how he was reacting to it and was pleasantly surprised to see his eyes closed as if he was in absolute ecstasy with a peaceful smile tugging at his lips. She kept humming the tune, and his foot tapped a slow, steady beat along with it.

After spending one of the happiest nights of his life cozied up next to a bonfire with Korra, he gave her a heart-panging goodbye, after making sure that Mako had left before he did. She gave him a hug and told him how happy she was that he had come. It gave him the confidence to give her a quick kiss right in front of her family, just slightly longer than a peck.

On the drive home he kept replaying every detail of the day, with the warmth and acceptance he had received still glowing inside him and the native songs still playing in his ears. Then he pulled into his driveway and immediately noticed the light shining out of the window of his father's office.

"Shit," he muttered.

* * *

_Author's notes- _

_Thank you Alaburn for being the best beta ever. _

_Just so you know Nez is French for nose, pronounced Nae and it is a real profession in the perfume industry. _

_Thank you to everyone who reads, faves and especially reviews because reviews are love. _


	8. Guess Who?

We Love the Water

Chapter 7

Tahno entered the deadly quiet house with his jaw set as he braced himself for whatever was waiting for him. He stepped into the hallway and saw that the door to his father's office was standing wide open, indicating that Tahno was mandated to come in. It wasn't unusual for his father to be up late working, but normally the door was closed to block out all interruptions. He let out a deep sigh and walked in to see his dad's tall form standing at the window with his back turned to the door and hands folded behind his back.

"So, I'm on pins and needles. What do you have to say for yourself this time?" he asked coldly, still not turning to look at his son.

Tahno shrugged. "How's it going, Pops?"

Cohen Malek suddenly swung around to stare at him with fury blazing in his eyes. "I don't want to hear that smart mouth of yours. I want you to tell me where the hell you've been all night and why you decided it was optional to defy my orders."

Tahno's usual lies and excuses didn't seem as appealing as they had in the past. He was tired of all this crap between them, and for once he just wanted to make his thoughts clear and plain to his father. "Maybe I'm not as interested in having my life completely tailored to your specifications as you think I am."

"This isn't just about you, Tahno, it's about my reputation. Do you have any idea how much of a fool I looked like? Promising those men that you would meet them tonight after I had built you up to them, elaborating on your talents and qualities, only to spend the evening standing around like an idiot while we waited for you to show up? What are people supposed to think of me if I can't keep my own son in line?"

"What if I don't give a rat's ass what other people think of you? Maybe you should start worrying about what your wife and children think of you for a change. But how could you? You're never here long enough to find out!"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" his father thundered angrily.

"Because it's true, and I'm fed up with it. I hate how you disregard the goals and plans I want to make for my own life, and I can't _stand_ how you ignore Sura all the time! From now on, I refuse to be a part of any dinner party that she's not welcome to."

Instead of yelling, his father's voice became gravely calm. "That's it. You tell me right now what it is you've been up to. I want to know the reason why you suddenly think it's okay to disrespect the man you owe everything to."

"Fine. If you must know, I was spending time with some old friends of yours. Tonraq Nivos and his family. Ring a bell?"

"Nivos…" he growled as his eyelid appeared to twitch unexpectedly.

"What's the matter? He said you two go way back."

"We do," Cohen said with his teeth clenched. "What were you doing with his family?"

"His daughter Korra transferred over to my school. I'm friends with her," Tahno informed him while trying not to reveal in any part of his expression how strongly he felt about her.

"Is that so? Well your mother and I will be very interested to become reacquainted with her. Do your new found notions of impertinence disagree with that?"

'_Yes_,' Tahno thought to himself, but he knew he couldn't put it off indefinitely. If his plans to be a more permanent fixture in Korra's life were to progress, she would have to meet his family eventually. "No," Tahno relented.

"Good. We'll have her over next week, and then we'll see about this rebellion issue."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

There was a soft knock on the door, and they both turned to see Sura's nanny step timidly into view.

"Excuse me, Mr. Malek. I'm afraid Sura is terribly restless tonight. I was wondering… if…" she trailed off, nodding in Tahno's direction.

Cohen sighed heavily and suddenly looked ten years older. "Yes. Go on," he muttered as he waved them off in an offhand manner and went back over to the papers on his desk. "Close the door on your way out. We'll discuss this more later."

Tahno barely restrained from slamming the door, and then headed off to Sura's room to tuck her in. It was strange, but whenever the topic of Sura's care was brought up, his father seemed to become completely detached.

After the door was shut, Cohen's shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily before rubbing his face tiredly; he was too young to feel this old. He opened his top desk drawer and popped open a secret compartment to find a series of old photographs. He picked one of the older ones up and looked at it forlornly before returning it to its place.

Tahno entered Sura's room to find her sitting up in bed rocking back and forth with a scowl on her face.

"Hey, Princess. Having trouble sleeping?" Tahno asked as he tried to soothe her and sat next to her on her bed.

She turned and glared at him before returning to her rocking. "No book," she said as she continued to scowl.

It dawned on Tahno that he was supposed to read her a bed time story tonight. Tahno cringed and grimaced like he had gotten slapped. "I know, I wasn't here to read to you earlier, and I'm sorry, Sura. I'm really, really sorry, but I learned a new song," Tahno replied, trying to sound positive.

"New song?" Sura repeated as she slowed down her rocking as her face softened.

"Yep, a new song; a nice one that'll help you sleep. Do you want to hear it?" Tahno asked as he began to tuck her in.

Sura nodded slightly before allowing her brother to tuck her in. Tahno did his best to hum the songs he had heard at the bonfire, and before he knew it Sura was asleep. He kissed her forehead and went to his own room and crashed on the bed as he let his thoughts drift back to Korra. She was like a magnet he couldn't stay away from. He could still smell her scent on his shoulder, and he didn't even bother changing before he fell asleep.

Back at the Nivos' residence, Korra was still washing the last few dishes before she could go to bed and was half listening as her parents talked at the kitchen table, but suddenly paused at the mention of Tahno's name.

"So, Korra, anything you want to tell us?" Tonraq inquired. "In particular, about you and Tahno?"

Korra sighed and bit her lip as she absentmindedly scrubbed a little harder on the pan she was cleaning and kept her back to her parents.

"I don't know what to tell you to be honest..." Korra started.

"Just start from the beginning. That's usually the best place to get started," Senna prodded. "Like his full name for one."

"Oh, you weren't here were you? Tahno Malek goes to White Falls Academy with Korra and he brought over her homework earlier in the week when she was sick. You know Tahno, Senna, he's Cohen and Norah Malek's son," Tonraq explained.

Senna knitted her eyebrows in confusion for a moment before it clicked into place."Oh, so _that's_ who that was, I wondered. Tahno looks a lot like Cohen did at his age; it's kind of scary," Senna admitted with a chuckle. "So come on, out with it. All of it."

"Uh, well, I guess it would be the second time we met, the first being the wedding where I '_**allegedly**_' threw flower petals in his face as a flower girl..." Korra joked with snort of laughter. "We fought, he thought I was a show off, and I thought he was being a controlling douche and I stole his swim cap and threw it onto the high dive," she recounted with a smug smile. "But then we just sort of got over it, and ever since then it's been like a game between us to see who can insult the other more cleverly, but it's all just for fun."

"But that doesn't explain what we saw today," her mother reminded her.

"Well, that started off as just a way to keep Tatiana and Natalie from trying to rip his clothes off, because I was genuinely afraid they were going to try. So I lied and said he was my boyfriend and Tahno just… went along with it," Korra admitted as she finished and turned around to see both of her parents wearing matching expressions of confused concern. "But if it helps, I think he might actually like me, which will be a nice change after spending the past two years pining for a guy who barely knows I exist," she noted sarcastically.

"Do you like Tahno?" Senna asked.

"I wish I knew him better," Korra answered honestly.

"Ok, well, can't say I'm crazy about his choice to wear eyeliner," Senna admitted bluntly.

"I like it, actually. It reminds me of the war paint that Dad and the other men wore in the tribe," Korra countered respectfully. "What do you think, Dad?"

"Well, considering what Iroh said about him, I don't have a problem."

"Wait, what did Iroh say?" Korra asked.

"That Tahno seemed like a good, honorable guy and he seemed to make you happy," her father supplied as Korra blushed and tried to hide the giant smile on her face by ducking her head, but her parents still caught sight of it.

"Well, as long as he's not exactly like his father, then I'm ok with him," Senna consented.

Tonraq nodded slowly but didn't add anything else. Korra looked between her parents and let her confusion show on her face."Alright, now I'm concerned..." Korra said slowly.

"Tahno's father, Cohen, is kind of the emotionally cold, controlling type," Senna elaborated a bit.

"Tahno's not like his dad then. I mean, just about every guy tries to wear that 'I'm strong, I'm tough, I never cry' mask but Tahno seems to take that off when we hang out," Korra defended.

"That's good to hear," Senna replied with a smile before she turned to her husband. "Alright, put me to bed honey. I'm going to turn into a pumpkin if I stay up much later," Senna said as she stretched and let her husband pull her to her feet and lead her upstairs.

Korra smiled as she watched her parents head up to bed. She was thankful to be one of the 'lucky ones' that had parents who were still _happily _married after 20 years. Korra hoped that when and if she ever got married that her marriage would be happy like theirs. Granted, she knew no marriage was perfect and that it was a ton of hard work, but the sacrifice would be worth it in her book.

Tahno was tempted to put off bringing Korra over to meet his parents for as long as possible, but he was not a procrastinator by nature and he preferred to get looming, unpleasant tasks out of the way as quickly as he could. He also figured it would be best to give his father as little time as possible to think of asshole things to say in front of her. They talked on the phone for a little while on Sunday, but he decided to wait to explain about the invitation in person when they were in school the next day.

He strolled through the halls of White Falls Academy the next day to find Korra standing at her locker before classes began.

"Hey, mud slinger," Tahno greeted drolly as he came up behind her and leaned up against the locker next to hers.

"Hey yourself, Pretty Boy," she said as she flashed him a flirty and mischievous smile.

He cocked his head to the side as he inhaled through his nose and felt his mind blur at the familiar and tantalizing scent coming from her. "Do I detect No. 38-21?" he inquired heavily as he leaned even closer towards her, barely keeping himself from burying his face into her neck.

"Nothing gets by you," she replied in an offhand manner, but appeared to bite her lip in an attempt to hide her self-pleased grin.

He let himself have a moment to relish the fact that she had worn that perfume for him, but then became serious as he came to the matter at hand. "So listen, I told my parents about you, and they said they'd like to meet you, if that's something you think you'd like to do."

"Sure, I'd love to meet them," she answered sincerely as she continued to rummage through her locker. "So… you've been talking about me, huh? Should I be worried?"

"Uh… I haven't really told them very much; they're just curious about you, and I thought I'd just let them learn about you for themselves." A rather sly looking smirk suddenly appeared on his face. "Cause you know, if I get started on your many _qualities_, I might unintentionally wander into an area that would bring embarrassment for both of us."

"Oh my god!" she blurted out while blushing scarlet. Then she shut her locker as she turned to face him fully. "Well at least you're honest about your perverted nature."

"I prefer to call it enthusiasm."

"Call it whatever you want," she responded flippantly as she crossed her arms in mock challenge.

He allowed himself to chuckle one more time before his face resumed its somber expression. His eyes dropped to the floor for moment in hesitation before rising up to look at her again as he said, "There's someone else I want you to meet. Someone I've never mentioned until now. I have a little sister. She's five years old and her name is Sura. And I've learned this past week how good you are with kids, but I have to warn you, when you meet her it might be a little awkward because she's autistic. She doesn't warm up to people very well and she barely talks at all, but she's… amazing. You just have to see for yourself."

Korra dropped her gaze for a second, and he could see that she was processing everything he had just told her with deep concentration. He waited impatiently for her to respond as he wasn't sure what reaction she was going to give to this news.

Finally she looked up and asked, "Why didn't you tell me about her before?"

Tahno rubbed the back of his neck uneasily before answering, "Besides you, Sasha is the only one of my friends who even knows she exists. Things with Sura are… complicated." He didn't elaborate any further, deciding this wasn't the right time or place to get into his and his parents' conflicting attitudes when it came to Sura.

"Okay, I get it," she said earnestly, holding out her palms in reassurance. "I'd love to meet them. _All_ of them. When should I come over?"

"How about tomorrow afternoon? I could pick you up before school and then later you could ride with me to my house. Afterwards I'll drive you back to your place."

"Perfect," she replied at once as the bell rang.

He tilted his head and gave her a crooked grin in response. "Walk you to class?" he requested as they made they made their way to homeroom together.

Throughout the rest of the day, Korra used whatever time they had together to ask Tahno questions about his family, but carefully remained discreet when she asked about his sister. She was particularly interested in Sura's love of music, which he was more than happy to supply her with information about. When she inquired about his mother or father, however, he tried to give as vague and brief answers as possible. Tahno couldn't help stressing out about what might occur the following day, and what Korra would think of his parents and vice versa. What he really hoped was that his father's perpetual need to appear flawless in the eyes of people outside their family would overrule any desire to oppress or degrade him in front of Korra.

Korra woke up the next day, excited and nervous about getting to meet Tahno's family later that day, but mostly excited. How bad could they be? And she felt like she knew his little sister already. A light had glowed in his eyes when he talked about her, and Korra could tell just by the sound of his voice that they had a close bond.

Tahno pulled up in her driveway that morning, and Korra smiled warmly at him as she slid into the leather passenger seat and closed the door as he began driving them to the school. She looked around the interior of the car with bright and animated eyes, immediately noticing the killer sound system he had installed.

"Good night's sleep, I take it?" he asked wryly as he observed her alert expression.

"Yeah. How about you?"

He frowned as he redirected his gaze to the road. "I've had better."

"You're not worried about later, are you?" she queried with a raised eyebrow.

He shot her a fake look of alarm from the corner of his eye. "Did I forget to tell you? Sura's actually a werewolf and I'm concerned she may try to take a couple bites out of you."

"You're doing that thing you do," she informed him.

"What thing?"

"That thing when you make a joke to try and cover up whatever is bothering you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay, fine. Deny it. But just so you know, I'm not worried about Sura. I got a little something for her," Korra mentioned smugly as she patted her bag.

"What's in it?" Tahno asked as he eyed the bag curiously.

"It think I'll keep it a surprise."

He shrugged. "It was nice of you to think of her like that."

His eyes stayed focused in front of him, but Korra thought she might have seen a softening in them as she viewed his profile.

They pulled into the school's parking lot a few minutes later and Korra began to gather her things. But before she could exit the car, Tahno suddenly muttered, "Wait."

She turned back to see him examining her tenderly, and he lifted his hand to sweep a strand of hair from her face before using it to cup her cheek as he slowly leaned over the console and softly brushed his lips against hers. It was fleeting, but intimate just the same. Her heart was pounding as he pulled away, but they didn't say anything else to each other as they stepped out of his car and walked into the building together. '_Are we together now?'_ Korra couldn't stop herself from wondering. They hadn't said anything about it being official yet, but she smiled to herself as she considered that it might not be long before they did.

The rest of the day passed normally, but Korra felt her level of anticipation increasing as it got closer to being time to go. Her nerves gave her an added boost during practice that afternoon, but whatever was going on in Tahno's head seemed to be keeping him from focusing on his laps. The drive to his house was much quieter than the one earlier, and she noted the way his fingers were gripping the steering wheel with an unsettling tightness. They finally arrived at a large and stately looking house with perfectly manicured lawns and gardens, which was only accessible by security gate.

"It's a beautiful house," Korra commented as she looked around.

"Yeah, not a blemish in sight," Tahno mumbled morosely as he turned off the ignition.

After they got out of the car, he led her up to a side entrance of the house. He held the door open for her as he told her, "My parents aren't home yet, but I thought you might like to go ahead and meet Sura."

"Absolutely," she replied emphatically.

She followed him down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs, taking in the polished interior of the house as she walked along.

"She always spends some free time in her room this time of day," he said over his shoulder as they approached a door at the end of the hallway. "In fact, she's usually playing her music whenever I come home from school."

They listened at the door for a moment before opening it, and Korra suddenly detected the sound of a piano, and it was a strangely familiar tune.

"Is that… one of the songs my family sang at the bonfire on Saturday?" she asked incredulously, barely believing her own ears.

Tahno gave her the first genuine smile he had worn since earlier that morning. "Yeah, that Native American, lullaby-sounding song."

"How does she even know that song?"

"I hummed it to her that night after I got back from your house."

"What? How can she know how to play it so soon after just hearing it?" Korra shrilled while still trying to keep her voice at whisper level.

"She really liked it," he answered casually.

"You're pulling my leg. There's no way…" she trailed off, unable to even complete her sentence.

"See for yourself," he said as he pushed the door open.

The little girl didn't look up from her keyboard as the two teenagers walked into her room, but kept on playing as though nothing else mattered. Korra was astounded to hear the familiar melody as she watched the tiny fingers play it with amazing fluidity.

As she finished the song, Tahno walked over to her and held out his hand. "Someone's here to see you, Sura," he said in a soft, gentle voice.

Sura grabbed onto his hand and let him help her to her feet, and then followed as he led her over to Korra. He crouched down so that his head was at five year-old's level and pointed up to Korra. "This is Korra. Can you tell her hi?"

Korra smiled as Sura looked up, but she only seemed to run her eyes over her for a split second before continuing on to look at the rest of the room as though Korra was just part of the wallpaper. Instead of saying hi, Sura decided to stare up at the light fixture on the ceiling as she wiggled the fingers of her free hand in front of her eyes.

"Sorry," Tahno apologized to Korra as he sighed. "She hasn't had a lot of practice at meeting new people yet."

"It's okay, I won't take it personally," Korra brushed off pleasantly as she continued to observe Sura. "Why is she doing that?"

"I think she likes the visual stimulation," Tahno replied thoughtfully. "She's not much for talking though."

"Well maybe talking is overrated. Sometimes music is more fun," Korra responded, directing the comment to Sura. Then she went over and sat on the floor nearby the keyboard. "You want to show me your piano, Sura?" she asked brightly.

Tahno seemed surprised when Sura actually pulled her hand out of his grasp and went over to join Korra. She sat on the floor in front of her keyboard, but instead of touching the instrument she leaned over and plucked a piece of fuzz off Korra's sleeve and proceeded to throw it up in the air and watch it float down to the carpet.

"Uh… sorry, she does that sometimes," Tahno explained as he edged closer.

Korra kept her attention on Sura who was now looking at her armband with interest. "What's he apologizing for? You and I are just trying to get to know each other," Korra joked lightly with her.

Tahno wasn't sure if he was imagining things or if what he saw was actually real. Korra and Sura were sitting next to each other, and Sura was actually giggling. Then Korra held out her armband for her to see better, encouraging her to feel it, which Sura did eagerly.

"You like it? It's from my tribe, just like that song you were playing, but I think your brother messed it up when he sang it to you, and we have to have something else to really sing the song right..." Korra trailed off as she leaned over to snatch her bag that she had dropped beside her.

She opened it up to pull out a small set of drums and handed them to Sura to check out, which she did enthusiastically. "These are called bongo drums, do you like them?" Korra asked as she watched Sura look them over intensely. "And this is the sound they make," Korra added as she leaned over and tapped on the drum head with her fingertips twice and watched as Sura continued to look at them as if Korra hadn't done anything, but after another moment of looking at them, she simply put them down and began playing the song again on the piano.

Korra picked up the drums and began a slow, steady rhythm before actually singing softly along with the right words. Tahno was mesmerized by the scene, wondering how Korra was able to click so well with Sura in a way her doctors or therapists had never managed. After about an hour of playing, Sura's nanny interrupted them because it was time for Sura to take a nap.

"Well it was fun playing with you, Sura. We should do it more, don't you think?" Korra asked as she put her drums away.

Sura didn't answer, but Korra could have sworn she saw a small smile on Sura's face. "Sleep well ok? Goodbye, Sura, it was nice to meet you," Korra called to her as she got up and followed Tahno out of the room.

"She's adorable. I can't _believe_ she's that talented with music," Korra said as Tahno shut the door.

Tahno smiled warmly at her."Yeah, she's a prodigy. Thank you for being so great with her."

"Well, I may or may not have done some research, but still, she's amazing. By the way, do you have somewhere I can change? Because I don't know about you, but I'm not too wild about staying in this skirt all day," Korra complained good-naturedly as she tugged on her school uniform's skirt.

"I concur. You would be much better off without it," Tahno drawled as he smirked wickedly.

"Careful, Tahno, you might want to be careful not to sound _too_ desperate. It's not flattering," she retorted with a wink as she turned and closed herself in the bathroom.

Tahno went into his room and got changed himself, and then went to the door that led to his bathroom and knocked softly.

Korra opened the door wearing her usual casual attire: a pair of really baggy jeans and only a slightly snug long sleeved shirt and stopped to take in his attire with a slight frown.

"Oh my god," she said as she finished looking him up and down.

"What? Is something wrong?" Tahno asked, concerned that she didn't like his casual appearance.

"I'm just trying to figure out if you're going for 'prep' or 'emo'," Korra stated, still taking in his appearance.

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Really? You're going to classify me?"

"High school stereotypes are crucial to our delicate social structure, you know," she informed him with heavy sarcasm. "I'm a member of the 'jock' and/or 'skater punk' category myself. And I think according to all the teen movies, you're supposed to make a bet with your friends that you can turn me into the prom queen or something, because I've already gotten the makeover," Korra replied with a grin before she busted out in laughter.

Tahno held up his hands in mock surrender. "Yep, you got me. I'm just the egotistical prig who only goes for the prom queen."

"Yeah, somehow I don't see that. Besides, I think Asami's got the role of prom queen covered, and she can keep it. And while I usually love competition, that is the one thing that I have absolutely no interest in. I don't even like prom; I think it's retarded."

"But you are going aren't you?" Tahno asked.

Korra shrugged a shoulder."Eh, there might be a Halo tournament or something that night. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, getting all dressed up and dolled up isn't really my thing,"

"So even if I asked you to go, you wouldn't?" Tahno speculated.

"Well, that depends, are you actually asking me or is this one of those hypothetical questions?" Because if you're really seriously asking me, I want you to actually ask me," she clarified.

"Would you like to go to prom with me?" Tahno asked.

"Love to," Korra chirped back with a bright smile.

"Awesome, now that that's settled, are you hungry? Would you like a snack?" Tahno inquired as he began leading the way toward the kitchen.

"I didn't know you cooked," Korra replied with a grin as she followed him.

"Well I'm not the next Bobby Flay, but I can manage thank you very much. Seriously, what do you want?" he asked as he rummaged through his fridge.

"You know me, I'll eat whatever.," Korra responded as she took a seat on a bar stool at the counter and noticed a pile of mail. "Surprise me," she challenged. Tahno turned to look at her to gauge how much of a surprise he should throw at her.

"Oh, I plan to," Tahno assured her, his voice a deep, sexy, promising purr.

Korra blushed as her smile took over her face. "Well, go on then, Pretty Boy," she taunted.

"Be careful what you ask for," Tahno warned as he turned back to the refrigerator on a mission.

Korra let her eyes slide back over to the pile of mail and gave into her impulsive nosiness as she lifted the envelopes off each other. The first two pieces of mail were addressed to Tahno, but the next five were addressed to _**Casper Denali**_. Every conversation she'd ever had with Tahno about Casper flashed through her memory, and a sudden realization hit her with the force of a baseball bat to the head, beginning a sense of betrayal and anger to brew in her mind. Her eyes darted over to Tahno as he moved across the kitchen with practiced grace.

Of all the conversations and secrets they'd shared, had he never once even _thought_ about telling her this? Did he not trust her? She knew a guy like him was probably a private person and probably had a lot of secrets, but she thought she was _special_. At least to him, damn it. She thought she broke through his walls, got him to let down his mask, and got to really see him for who he really was and not how he tried so desperately to be seen as. So was she just another casualty of his ego and charms? The thought made her nauseous.

"Tahno?" Korra questioned, trying to keep her voice steady as he stirred something in a pan on the stove with his back to her.

"Yeah?" he answered without turning around.

"Why do you have mail addressed to Casper Denali?" she asked as she held up the mail in question.

Tahno ducked his head as a string of whispered curses flew from his mouth. He shut off the stove and went to the sink to wash his hands, then turned around slowly as he dried his hands thoroughly and eyed her cautiously, wondering when her temper was going to be unleashed on him.

"Because I'm Casper Denali," Tahno admitted slowly, watching her reaction.

"Excuse me?" Korra asked, unsure if she could even believe her own ears.

"Come on, I'll prove it," Tahno said as he nodded toward the hallway and gestured for her to follow him.

Korra's jaw dropped as she entered executive looking office and sound studio. "Wow," she muttered as she looked at everything.

He gestured to the plaques on the wall bearing his professional name. "If it helps, I was planning on showing you all this after I fed you your 'surprise'." Tahno admitted as he sat down in his usual chair and turned on his equipment. "And you also inspired me to create this..." he told her as he pulled up and played the song he had been working on that he named, 'The Ocean in Her Eyes.'

He watched as she sat down in the chair next to him and stared at the sound board silently as she listened. He watched her even more closely, waiting to see any kind of reaction while he hoped and prayed that she liked it. He barely breathed as the song played on, and Korra continued to not display any sort of emotion, which was really starting to worry him. The song ended and they were silent for a minute while Korra looked deep in thought. Then she inhaled and paused while she thought about what she should say.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why did you let me go on and on about his, or _your_ music rather, and sound like an idiot?" Korra asked as she finally turned to him with so much sadness and betrayal filling her eyes that Tahno thought his heart was going to wrench and twist right out of his chest. "Do you not trust me?" she inquired further.

"No, that's not it at all. I trust you the most out of anyone actually. It's just that... I'm a private person and _no one_ knows about this side of me. I've known Sasha and Asami since Elementary school, and only Sasha knows that I even have a sister with Autism, and that's only because she came over to give me my homework when I got chicken pox once. You are the _only one_ outside my family who knows that I'm Casper Denali besides my lawyer," he explained softly. "And actually, if you could keep that a secret I will be forever grateful," Tahno added with a hopeful smile. "What did you think of the song?" he asked as he watched a small smile grace her lips.

"Well, it's different from your usual stuff, and I didn't expect the whale song..." Korra started before Tahno cut her off.

"That was in there because that first day I saw you swim, you reminded me of some graceful, ethereal creature of the water. Like a water nymph or something. The blue whale song just seemed fitting."

"I see. And the rhythm that seemed to come out of a belly dancers routine?" Korra asked with uncharacteristic shyness as she stared at the floor.

"The way you danced at Asami's party and put Shakira to shame," Tahno supplied.

When she finally worked up the nerve to look back up at him, the intensity in his gaze nearly melted her to the floor. "What did you think?" he asked again.

"Well... before I knew what exactly inspired it, I thought it was the most beautiful song I _had_ ever heard. Now that I know the story behind it, I think it is the most beautiful song I _will_ ever hear," Korra finally answered and smiled as Tahno visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought you were going to tell me you hated it there for a moment," he confessed.

"No, that's kind of impossible," Korra reassured him as her eyes darkened with a sudden desire.

The overwhelming pleasure of having a song made about her simply added to electricity already put in place by Tahno's close proximity and the dark, quiet privacy the room afforded. She began to lean forward slightly in his direction as he did the same. Their lips were mere inches apart when they suddenly heard Tahno's father call for him.

"Damn it," Tahno cursed his luck as he pulled himself out of his chair.

Korra practically jumped out of hers and waited for him to lead the way back up the stairs.

"Guess you get to meet my parents now... " Tahno drawled as he ascended the stairs and wished more than anything that he had just had a few more moments back there to actually kiss Korra the way he'd been wanting to all day.

They made it up to the landing to find Tahno's parents waiting solemnly for them. Korra gulped nervously as they stared at her with eyes that contained not a single trace of warmth.

Tahno's father didn't bother moving forward to shake her hand or to offer any type of friendly gesture, but merely looked down on her coldly as he stated, "You must be Korra."

* * *

_Author's notes-_

_Again, biggest thanks to Alaburn for creating that chilling scene between Tahno and his father and betaing and just generally being awesome. _

_Thank you so so so much for reading and reviewing, it means the world to us. _

_Enjoy. _


	9. Just Friends

We Love the Water

Chapter 8

"That's me," Korra confirmed as she supplied a bright smile despite her nervousness, making sure to look him straight in the eye and showing no signs of backing down.

Her mother hadn't been joking when she said Tahno looked like his father. Tahno was only marginally shorter than his father, but they shared the same chiseled facial features as well as the same light grayish blue eyes. Cohen's hair was also starting to gray at the temples and his face was showing signs of age and stress, but still, Cohen was, if anything, still a really handsome man. But he was looking her over disapprovingly and she could feel the tension radiate off of Tahno and filling the room.

"So how did you come to attend White Falls Academy?" Cohen asked.

"I'm the best swimmer and diver in the school district, and I got recruited by Principle Tarrlock because he wanted White Falls to have the best of everything, and apparently that includes me," Korra answered smugly.

"The best in the _women's_ competition perhaps," Cohen drawled. "But Tahno is _the_ fastest swimmer overall," Cohen affirmed.

"No, actually he isn't. I've beaten every single one of his best times by over a second and a half except for one, the breast stroke, which I'm sure I would have beat if the season didn't end next week," Korra corrected with a teasing smirk in Tahno's direction.

"How is that possible?" Cohen asked, turning his attention to Tahno with an air of irritation.

"Because I work my butt off," Korra answered instead. "It also helps that I'm talented and love the water."

"Well, I'm sure your parents are very proud," Norah said before Cohen could respond.

"They are, thank you. They say 'hi' by the way," Korra replied to Norah with a small smile.

"Oh, that's nice. How are they doing?" Norah inquired, attempting to be warm.

"They're doing great, thanks for asking. So, Tahno hasn't really told me much about you. What do you guys do?" Korra asked awkwardly, trying to take the attention off of herself.

"Norah is a board member of the Chamber of Commerce while I am the vice president of Fabri-Corp," Cohen answered sharply.

"Oh wow, that's the company that designs and produces artificial joints. Your new hip and knee designs come in several interchangeable parts that allow the surgeon to custom fit it to the patient instead of a 'one size fits all' concept has made quite an impact within the medical community. And using titanium alloys that keep the weight down while keeping tensile and compressive strengths balanced is very impressive. My mom is an orthopedic nurse at Memorial Hospital, so she works with your products all the time, and she says it really improves the quality of life for a lot of patients. I heard you guys also turned a 15.8 million dollar profit last quarter; not too shabby," Korra replied, causing Tahno to quickly snap his head toward her in surprise.

"It's nice to hear you pay attention to the financial market," Cohen droned. "So how long have you and Tahno been together?" he then asked, changing the subject.

"We aren't," Tahno interjected firmly, his face a firm mask of indifference.

Korra opened and closed her mouth as the confusion swirling in her mind made itself evident on her face.

"Are you sure?" Cohen prodded as he raised an eyebrow and observed Korra's reaction.

"Positive. We're just friends. Nothing else," Tahno confirmed.

"It's nice to know you blew off our important dinner plans which you had been ordered to attend and had agreed to be a part of on Saturday for 'just a friend'," Cohen snapped curtly.

Tahno's anger immediately started blazing as Korra's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Wait, what?" Korra asked, needing clarification.

"On Saturday I had several colleagues over to meet Tahno and to discuss his prospects and talents so that perhaps they could use their connections to help get him into a decent university, but he felt spending time with your family was more important than his future," Cohen grumbled as he elaborated.

Tahno's eyes shot daggers at his father for bringing this up in front of Korra, who whirled around to face him with a face blank in shock.

"My dad _askedyou_ if you had plans! It was just a stupid, small family gathering; you could have said no. You _should _have said no, especially if you had something like that going on," Korra chastised before turning to his father. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malek. I didn't know, or I would have encouraged him to go home," she told him apologetically.

"How fortunate that your parents were able to instill a good set of moral values in you. Something I wish my own son would learn," Cohen remarked stiffly. "If he's not messing around with that idiotic music, then he's chasing after skirts."

"Dad, stop," Tahno muttered with his teeth clenched.

"What?" Cohen retorted darkly. "Don't like me embarrassing you in front of your company? Good. Maybe you'll finally realize what it's like. It's about time one of the girls who follow you around learn your true colors. Perhaps Korra will be the one to teach you respect, and maybe you will even be the one who gets dumped instead of the other way around. You have no idea how _fitting_ that would be."

Korra wasn't sure what to feel at the moment; she was so confused it felt like her head was spinning. Tahno had point blank confirmed that they were just friends, even after going through all the trouble to arrange for her to meet his parents. And yet now it turned out that he had disobeyed them to be with her, but was it just because he hated them so much that he would have done anything to get away from them for a night? Maybe that meant she was just a tool Tahno was using to further piss his father off, like he had told her he liked to do. But no, what about the way he looked at her, talked to her, kissed her? Korra couldn't believe he only felt friendship towards her, but then she remembered his reputation as an insufferable charmer. Maybe all that crap about writing a song for her was the same bullshit he pulled on all the girls whose pants he wanted to get into. She suddenly felt so overwhelmed with anger, and yet all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. All the amazing things he had said to her started swimming in her head: the sexy teasing, the tender words, and the soulful insights into his thoughts and emotions. Were they all just the well-executed lies of a charismatic song writer?

Of all the times Tahno had wished he could assault his own father, this moment had to be the most tempting. He clenched his fists so hard that his hands turned white. Norah noticed her son was being pushed to his limit, as Cohen often forced him to do. She decided it was time for her to step in before Tahno exploded and a scene was created.

"Now that's enough of that," Norah interjected, stepping forward so she was almost between Cohen and Tahno who were at the moment locked in a heated staring match. "Korra, would you like to stay for dinner?" Norah asked politely.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I really couldn't eat at the moment. Thank you for the offer though," Korra declined before asking, "Could I say goodbye to Sura before I go home?"

Both Norah and Cohen inhaled sharply at the mention of their daughter, but made no effort to stop her. "Yes of course," Norah said after a beat.

"Thanks, it was lovely to meet both of you and again, and I'm really sorry about Saturday," Korra said again as she turned and walked toward Sura's room alone.

"Maybe if I had _parents_ with a good set of morals themselves, I would have gained some by now," Tahno bit out as he left to follow Korra a moment later.

He walked into the little girl's bedroom to see Korra hugging Sura from the side while they sat side by side on the floor in front of her keyboard, but Sura wasn't playing, instead she was holding onto something and looking at it carefully.

"Goodbye, Sura. I hope I get to see you again real soon," Korra said as she got up and walked toward the door where Tahno was standing. "Care to take my home now?" she asked flatly, having to stop herself from saying '_Pretty Boy'_ at the end.

"Yeah," Tahno responded, looking carefully at the way she refused to meet his eyes.

She brushed passed him roughly, and he followed her out of the house.

"What did you give Sura?" Tahno asked in an attempt to lighten the mood once they had gotten into his car.

"A small dupatta I got in India. It's really just an embroidered scarf, but it's got all these intricate details and patterns that I thought might keep her eyes busy. She seemed to like it, and it's purple, which I figured would be a good color for her," Korra explained as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window at the beautiful scenery passing by, even if it was getting darker outside.

"Thanks," Tahno said gently. "I could tell she loves it. We'll never get her to let it go. So… about Saturday..." Tahno tried to start before Korra cut him off.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Korra demanded suddenly.

"Look, my dad has a specific, stifling mold he would love to squeeze me into, and I have absolutely no intention of being just another version of him," Tahno defended.

"I can understand that, but if you _agreed_ to go to their thing on Saturday, you had no business being at my house. You should have told me. I would have understood and we could have worked something else out," Korra said sadly, her disappointment clear in her tone.

"Look I don't regret my choice to spend time with you, it was..."

"It was a mistake, _friend," _Korra interrupted as she looked away from the window to fix him with a stern look.

"Mistake?" Tahno echoed, not believing his ears.

"Did I stutter? Look, I'm flattered that you wanted to spend time with me and my family."

"Actually, just you, your family was a bonus," Tahno countered, trying to gain some positive ground.

"Be that as it may, it was still a very disrespectful thing to do to them," Korra pointed out.

Tahno felt his patience begin to slip again at her unwavering insistence to revisit the nightmare that had just taken place. "You don't know _anything_ about them. Just because you come from the perfect family doesn't give you the right to tell me how to treat or handle mine," he sneered back.

"That's not what I'm trying to do, Tahno. I'm just saying you should show a little more respect whether they deserve it or not because _they are your parents_. If you had children, would you want them to treat you the way you just treated your own?" Korra asked.

"I would never give them reason or cause to, unlike my parents," Tahno argued.

"Ok, fine, spell it out for me. Tell me the reasons you have; the great and horrible things your parents have done that makes it okay for you to be that careless about their wishes."

"I... it's complicated," Tahno replied, not knowing where to start as his mind reeled with stress and uncertainty.

"_Everything_ is complicated to you! Everything is a shade of gray isn't it? Good god, you have more secrets than the CIA, I swear!" Korra roared as she threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Just because you're willing to throw every detail of your life in everyone's face, doesn't mean the whole world should do the same!" Tahno snapped back.

"And yet you got mad at me when I did hold something back, before you jumped to conclusions and thought I had a love child with Mako. Yeah, that's much better," Korra challenged snidely.

Tahno groaned and let his head fall back against the head rest. "Korra, you don't understand..."

"What am I not understanding?! Please, tell me so I can understand you! I want to understand what's going on, because I don't have a fucking clue," Korra pleaded. "Am I not smart enough to understand, or do you just not want to tell me so that you can keep your little web of secrets?"

Tahno looked questioningly at her from the corner of his eye. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked suspiciously.

Korra huffed indignantly before responding, "I don't know who you really are. I can't get to you if you keep putting up these walls, Tahno. It makes me think you just really want to keep me at arm's length like everyone else," she confessed sadly, feeling defeated as her shoulders sagged.

Tahno felt the scrambling urgency to figure out what had gone wrong between them as he pulled into her driveway. "That's not what I want. I want..." Tahno began but couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. "You mean a lot to me. I'm just having a hard time saying what's on my mind… because…"

"Because you're just _so_ deep? Is that what you tell the others too?" she asked, scowling at him with a look that could sour milk.

"What others?" he demanded as he put the car in park and looked at her with an expression of complete bewilderment.

Korra just looked at him with a mix of disgust and disappointment that he would play dumb as she gathered her things together. "Here's the deal, Tahno, since I don't want to make a liar out of you to your parents, we are, in every sense of the word_, just friends_. That doesn't mean friends with benefits, a simple fling, or whatever the hell you thought we were going to be. And believe me, I won't regret losing that aspect of our relationship _at all_. I don't want you to kiss me, touch me, flirt with me, or so much as bat an eyelash at me. I'm not that kind of girl, and shame on you for thinking I was," Korra spat as she got out of the car, slammed the door shut, and began storming across the yard to her house.

Tahno sat in absolute shock for a second before finally catching up with the present. He threw the car door open and jumped out to yell to her retreating form, "Korra, WAIT! Stop, please!"

"Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it," she shouted back as she reached her porch. "Get back in your stupid, fancy car, and get out of here!" she ended thunderously, flipping him off before disappearing into her house and slamming the front door.

"Shit," Tahno cursed himself as he ran after her and tried to open the door before finding it was already locked. "Korra! Let me in! Please!" Tahno begged, but he didn't get an answer.

He waited for a while, wondering if she had gone upstairs to her room, wondering if she was just on the other side of the door, and wondering what the hell had happened in the last few minutes. He finally walked back to his car with a heavy sigh as he rubbed his hands over his face. He drove away and glanced several times in the rear-view mirror at her house before leaving the driveway, half expecting her to open the door, but she never did.

All during school the next day, Korra was noticeably different in her attitude towards Tahno. She treated him the same way she treated every other male at the school, if only marginally more standoffish, and Tahno wondered if it would hurt worse if she just outright ignored him. For all the imploring looks he gave her mixed with a searing longing, she just put up more walls between them. Korra was keeping her emotions carefully guarded, but every so often Tahno caught glimpses of hurt and pain when they locked eyes, but the sadness always eventually made way for blazing anger which she directed at him until he dropped his gaze in agony and guilt. She was slowly driving him to madness.

"Korra, you coming?" Sasha asked Korra before they went to their last class.

"No, I'll see you guys later. I have a meeting with Mr. Tenzin."

Sasha looked confused. "I thought new students only had to have meetings with the guidance counselor during the first two weeks?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with that, I just have something else I wanted to talk to him about, so I requested a meeting with him."

One of the other girls suddenly curled up her lip in disgust. "You're actually going to go see that nut job on your own free will? He's such a pushover, it's pathetic."

Korra's nerves were already frayed from struggling with her rapidly shortening temper all day, and the derogatory comment made about the kind, understanding counselor was almost the breaking point. She somehow stopped herself from punching the little nitwit right in that senseless and perfectly lip glossed mouth of hers. "_Yes_, I do want to go see him. He's been nothing but kind and helpful since I started going here, and I actually enjoy his company, which is a far cry from what I can say about you, Stacie."

"It's Stephanie," the girl snarled.

"Who cares?" Korra snorted as she walked away.

A few minutes later, Korra was sitting in the chair across from the school counselor as he regarded her compassionately. "What did you want to see me about today, Korra?"

"The thing is, I'm having problems with another student in my homeroom, and I was wondering if you could give me some ideas on how to deal with… this person. I think it would be best if I switched to another homeroom, but I'm not having any luck so far. Maybe if you hinted that it was important to my ability to concentrate, the teachers would be more willing to help out."

"I would need to truly believe that it was in your best interest before I could do that, especially since you only have a little over a week left before your class schedule changes completely for the next semester." he replied firmly, but while still wearing an open expression on his face.

"It's not just some dumb squabble, Mr. Tenzin. I swear, I'm miserable staying in there," Korra insisted adamantly.

"I know how tempting it is to try to avoid conflict, but most of the time it's wisest to face your problems."

"It's not actually conflict I'm trying to avoid. It's… it's hard to explain."

"I'm all ears if you want to give it a try. I promise that nothing you say will leave this room," he promised her.

"Well, I'm sure you remember my run in with Tahno Malek on my first day."

"Of course."

"Well, we got over that and became friends."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"But it quickly turned into more than friendship, and it was going great, or at least I thought it was. I guess you've probably heard about his reputation?" she asked as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I prefer to rely on what I know for sure about other people instead of rumors. Tahno is a bright student and a talented athlete. It's true he's given me a few witticisms in the past, but for the most part he has shown himself to be a respectful and dignified young man."

"I mean his reputation with girls," Korra specified.

"But that's still just secondhand information, Korra. It's a funny thing about reputations, it takes years to build a good one, but mere seconds to form a bad one, and both will follow you around wherever you go."

"Look, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt like you said I should, and I trusted him. But he's a liar! He's been hiding all these little secrets, lying to his parents, and probably lying to me! I don't understand him, what's so hard about just being honest?" she demanded as her voice rose with anger.

"A lot of times when you're trying to figure out why a person is the way he is, it is helpful to take a close look at where they come from and the environment they live in. Were you given the chance to meet his family?"

"Yes, I met them, and that was when everything fell to pieces!" the frustration was too much for Korra to remain calmly sitting, so she stood abruptly and went to look out of the window with her arms crossed irately.

He came over to stand next to her, and she saw the reflection of his saddened face in the glass. "I see that whatever happened that day was deeply upsetting to you, and I'm sorry you were hurt, Korra. I truly am," he conceded gently as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "But I still hope that once you've given it a little time you can find the strength to take a step back and try to look back on the incident and what followed with a renewed spirit. I just don't want you to feel like mistakes can't be mended or that pride is worth more than friendships."

She turned to face the guidance counselor with a wry smile. "We were actually friends a long time ago when we were little. It was only for one day, but we were inseparable." The frown returned to her features when she then asked, "Why was everything so easy back then and so complicated now?"

He took a moment to ponder the question before responding, "It's probably because the world is so much simpler in the eyes of a child. They have yet to be burdened by the troubles and lies that the world eventually gives them. Children also don't focus on outward appearances; they look directly into another person's heart and befriend the soul they find there. But as you grow, your experiences harden you and make it more difficult to see past the exteriors."

Korra was amazed by how much that actually made sense to her, and she had to admit that he definitely had a point. "Do you have kids, Mr. Tenzin?" she inquired curiously.

"Yes," he answered as he smiled fondly towards a family picture on his desk. "My wife and I have three with another on the way. They keep us busy." He ended by sighing wearily, as if the recollection alone was enough to exhaust him.

"Wow, congratulations."

"Thank you, Korra, but enough about that. You should probably start heading to your next class."

"Oh, yeah I do," she said as she glanced at the clock and began gathering her things before making her way to the door.

"Korra, you'll remember what we talked about?" he prompted earnestly before she closed the door behind her.

"Sure thing. See you around!" Korra called out, but the moment she left his office her smile vanished.

She looked out the window to see the snow starting to fall and waited for the usual peaceful happiness she felt whenever she saw the snow, but it didn't come. She couldn't shake the depression that had settled over her, and she barely survived swim practice later that afternoon. On the way back to her house she drove much faster than what she knew was safe in the wintry conditions, but her frustration was determined to take itself out on the roads. After arriving home, she changed her clothes and let her hair down before pulling on her heavy, winter coat.

An hour later, Korra found herself still sitting outside in the snow, throwing a ball for Naga as she let the snow fall around her and settle in her hair and cascade over her shoulders and back as she stewed in her thoughts and emotions. She heard a car drive up and checked the time on her phone, noting that it was too early for either of her parents to be home yet. Feeling her heartbeat pick up, she got up and walked around the house, but then let out a tense breath when she saw that it was Mako and not Tahno standing at the front door. Not bothering to analyze whether she was disappointed or relieved, she approached as he knocked on the door while holding the blue hoodie in his other hand.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Korra asked from behind him.

Mako turned and descended the porch steps to join her in the front yard. "Is Tahno here?" he asked warily.

Korra snorted out a laugh of derision. "No, he has no reason to be," she assured him.

"But I thought... that you two were... together," Mako managed to get out, as if the words were painful to say.

"No, we're barely even friends," she griped.

"But what about... at your party when he was hanging all over you?" Mako argued before Korra chuckled mirthlessly.

"Yeah, that was just a ruse to keep him safe from my cousins. You know how bad Natalie and Tatiana are, and they were ready to devour him, so I told them a little white lie and '_convinced_' him to play along for his own safety. Although looking back now, I probably should have kept my big mouth shut and just let him fend for himself, but I can't go back and change the past, can I?" Korra lamented with a shrug.

"Well you had me convinced," Mako admitted before taking a deep breath. "Korra, I have to tell you something."

Korra looked at him in confusion as she waited for him to continue.

"Could we go inside first? It's kind of cold," he requested.

She smiled in agreement and walked with him into her house. "Can I get you some hot chocolate or hot cider or something?" Korra offered as she took off her coat and hung it up on the coat rack by the door.

"Either one would be fine, thanks," Mako answered as he followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the table, watching her move around the room as she prepared their drinks.

"You look good with your hair down," he commented with a guilty smile as Korra turned around and looked at him in surprise.

"Thanks," she replied before going back to making the spiced hot cider.

"I should have told you how great your hair looked at Asami's party. I'm sorry I didn't," Mako admitted as he looked down at the sweater clutched in his hands.

"Well if I recall, a lot was going on during that party," Korra rejoined as her mind reeled with a barrage of memories, mostly of Tahno and how he made her feel that night. She shook her head to get the images and feelings out before she turned to face Mako. "So what did you need to tell me?" Korra asked as she handed him his cup and took a seat across from him.

"Are we not friends anymore?" Mako asked, concern pouring out of his eyes.

"What? Of course we are! Why would you say something like that? Do you not want to be friends with me anymore?" Korra asked, mirroring his concerned expression.

"No, I always want to be your friend. It's just that the _way_ you gave me this sweater back and then proceeded to give me back my swim trunks seemed to point things in that direction. It just felt like Tahno was pushing you to push me away because he must have been the jealous boyfriend type, and I didn't want that to happen to you. I know how much you hate the feeling of being controlled, and I never want to lose you, Korra," Mako said with so much sincerity that it moved Korra to stand up and pull him out of his seat to hug him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Mako. I'm so sorry," Korra mumbled into his shoulder before pulling back and smiling up at him. "You were right. You were right about everything. Actually, that shouldn't surprise me since you're always right about everything, right?" Korra asked, stroking his ego a bit as she pulled away to sit down again, causing him to smile widely at her.

"Yeah, Tahno did influence me to push you away. He influenced me a lot, actually, and that makes me so... angry and sad that it was so _easy_ for him to do. And you're right about me too; I hate the feeling of being controlled by anyone, and you obviously saw what he was like at the reunion just 'pretending' to be my boyfriend. He even got me going to the point that I imagined that there was something between us. But then he invited me over to his house, and I finally found out deceitful and just manipulative he is. By the way, Tahno is Casper fucking Denali!"

"Who?" Mako asked as he looked up from his cider.

"Ugh, Mako," Korra groaned. "I only talk about him _all the time!_"

"Oh, right. That music guy."

"Right. So anyway, it all seemed too good to be true, and it was. He's a liar, womanizer, and just general pain in the ass. And there I was, thinking I had something special with someone and it turned out that I was mistaken and it was actually nothing. _Again_," Korra ended despondently.

"Again?" Mako questioned.

Korra inhaled sharply as she tried to think of a way out of what she just said. "Nothing. Bad choice of words. So where's Bolin? Is he on another date with Sasha?" Korra asked quickly, changing the subject.

"Yeah, those two are attached at the hip, if not the whole pelvis at this point," Mako joked, which caused Korra to nearly spray her cider everywhere before she broke out in a laugh.

"Knowing Sasha, they probably are. She already goes on and on about how_ amazing_ Bolin is at _everything,_ and I tell her to just stop right there because I don't want to know. He's like a little brother to me and I really never _ever_ want to think about him like that, but apparently he tastes like spearmint," Korra ribbed, this time causing Mako to choke on his cider.

"That's disgusting! I did not need to know what my brother's mouth tastes like. From now on I think I'm going with cinnamon gum and just... ugh," Mako declared as he shuddered and pretended to gag, instigating more giggles from Korra.

"Well there are worse flavors I suppose," Korra ventured. "How could you ever think we couldn't be friends?" She said, going back to their earlier discussion. "You're like one of my best friends, Mako, and we've been through just about everything together..." Korra began as they started to reminisce over old times together.

But it wasn't long before Korra brought up Tahno again, and she was so caught up in talking about him that she didn't even notice as Mako rolled his eyes in vexation that they had wandered back to this topic of conversation.

"You're not going to tell me what Tahno tasted like now, are you?" Mako complained in annoyance.

"No, that would be weird. Besides, it wasn't really _that_ that made kissing him so… so altering. It was the way he made me feel. I felt like he was setting my soul on fire, but it didn't hurt; in fact, it was _**amazing**_. I've never felt anything like that before. But, like you said, he's a womanizing bastard, right?" Korra recalled sadly as she ran her fingertips over the rim of her empty mug. "I guess that means he knows all the tricks."

Mako looked at her with narrowed eyes as he asked, "Didn't you feel anything that time we kissed?"

Korra froze and raised her head up from her mug to stare at him in shock at the realization of what he just inadvertently confessed.

"_You told me that you didn't remember what happened that night_," Korra bit out in a deadly whisper as her eyes sparked with fiery accusation.

"Well, I, uh, I… didn't want things to get awkward between us, and then you never brought it up again so I figured you got over it. Then at Asami's party and again at the party here, I saw how Tahno was with you, and I felt like I was the biggest idiot for not saying something or _doing_ something about my feelings for you when I had the chance," Mako stumbled and blurted out all at once.

Korra didn't know if she was supposed to be happy and relieved or betrayed and enraged, so she went with her gut, which was demanding his blood. She fisted her hands and set them on the table as she slowly stood up and fixed him with such a burning glare that it could have melted an iceberg.

"You mean to tell me that this whole time you've known how I really felt about you but _lied_ to me and _pretended_ to be none the wiser? This _**whole fucking time**_, making me experience the pain of thinking that my feelings were so _**insignificant **_that your brain chose not to remember them?! Do you have any idea what that's done to me? I was _**devastated**_! I felt like the biggest failure ever! And THEN you go and fucking flirt with Asami _right in front of me, __**knowing**_ how I felt about you and with Iroh there too! He's planning to propose to her as soon as she graduates! What were you thinking?!" Korra demanded as she screamed at him at the top of her lungs.

"I'm sorry! I made a mistake, but I never claimed to be perfect!" Mako yelled back.

"You know what? Go, just go! Right now. Get out of my house, and come back when you're not a fucking idiot!" Korra said as she pushed him out the door and threw his coat and sweater back at him before slamming the door and locking it as she turned and ran up the stairs to her room while the hated tears began streaming down her face.

She couldn't stand feeling like this. So used and deceived like a helpless child by the people she had once trusted her emotions to. But this was a different pain than the one Tahno had made her feel. Mako's revelation elicited more self-hatred than actual heartbreak, which led her to wonder if she had actually been starting to fall for Tahno while simultaneously getting over Mako. Even now as Korra wallowed in her anger and pain and wished for comfort, the first image that popped into her head was the memory of being wrapped in Tahno's arms as he consoled her in the woods behind the school one day. But no, she would die before she let another two-faced jerk worm his way into her heart.

* * *

_Author's notes- Biggest thanks to Alaburn for writing that scene between Korra and Tenzin- it _was th_e one non-crazy moment in the chapter and for betaing and just generally being awesome and making me laugh so hard I cry. _

_Aaaannnnnnnndddddd- oh snap. _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love. _


	10. The Cost of Pride and Arrogance

We Love the Water

Chapter 9

The last week of the semester was tense for Korra and Tahno. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement to remain civil with each other, but it was easy to tell there was a lot more going on underneath the surface. Then the classes changed, and instead of only having one class together, they now had two: Chemistry and Drama. The swimming season was also done for the year, and since Tahno wasn't on the dive team, he didn't get to see Korra in the pool after classes anymore. He hadn't realized how much he would miss seeing her for that extra couple of hours until it was the end of the day and he watched her walk towards the pool. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she turned around and looked at him for a moment over her shoulder, giving him a look he couldn't read from the distance before turning the corner and leaving his line of sight.

The next day Tahno nearly had a stroke in Chemistry. They were told to break up into partners, and as he hesitated, wondering whether he should try to ask Korra to be his partner or not, a linebacker from the football team got to her before he could work up the nerve. So he had to watch as the two talked and laughed while they performed their experiment. Then the linebacker, Tony, complained about his forearm hurting him when Korra offered to massage it for him as an act of kindness from one athlete to another. Tony readily agreed and offered his arm to her, and Tahno watched from the corner of his eye, transfixed, as Korra expertly worked on the knots in the bulging arm. Tahno noted with a barely restrained growl at the way Tony's whole body seemed to relax at her ministrations and the way he pressed his lips together as if he was trying desperately not to make any embarrassing sounds of pleasure.

"Will you marry me?" Tony asked Korra suddenly.

Tahno's pencil snapped in half in his hand, and he listened with vicious jealousy as Korra just laughed that laugh that haunted his dreams at night.

"No, thanks for the offer though. Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've been proposed to, joking or otherwise," Korra replied with a chuckle.

At hearing this, the beaker Tahno was holding slipped out of his fingers and clattered loudly on the table.

Chad, Tahno's friend and lab partner, looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Be a little more obvious in showing off your little green monster there, Bro," he muttered slyly under his breath, to which he only received a glare in response.

"Really?" Tony asked, surprised by Korra's admission.

"Yup, last summer I globe trotted with my Nana in Japan, Southern China, and India, with two weeks in Egypt, and I got four marriage proposals in the three months it took to do the trip to begin with. Then this past summer I visited my father's family in the Arctic Circle and got another one before I finished my passage rite and earned my tribal tattoo."

"What made you say no?" Tony asked as she continued to work on the muscles down his arm and to his hand.

Tahno tried to look busy measuring out chemicals as he listened with rapt attention.

"I didn't love any of them, and I was WAY too young. I'm still too young, actually," Korra answered with a shrug and a small smile. "Done. Feel better?" Korra asked as she dropped her hands from his.

"Yeah, a million times better. You know, I have another arm, a back, a set of shoulders, a neck, and three legs..." Tony joked with a wink.

'_The fuck you do', _Tahno wanted to yell across the room, but remained silent as he openly watched the rest of their interaction with darkening eyes, abandoning the attempt to be inconspicuous.

Korra just laughed some more and shook her head while she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'll bet you do. Too bad I won't be touching anymore of you since you brought that up," she stated as she turned back to her work.

"Oh come on," Tony pleaded.

"Nope, my mind is made up now; you are officially friend-zoned, Buddy," Korra said as she patted him on the arm sarcastically. "Now, come on, don't leave me all the work here."

"Oh well, you can't win them all, can you?" Tony lamented.

As the football player eased up on the flirtatious behavior, Tahno let out a strained breath he hadn't realized he was holding and tried to refocus on the steps he was supposed to be performing for the experiment.

"Dude, I swear, either put a lid on it or ask her out already. I'm starting to feel genuine fear for the safety of the guy who eventually does become her boyfriend," Chad chastised Tahno as they finished their experiment.

Tahno froze for a second as his fists clenched before darting a contemptuous stare at his friend. "Do me a favor and stay out of it, okay?"

"I don't get what your deal is. I'm surprised you don't actually have her under your arm already."

"It's not from lack of trying."

"Did she already turn you down?" Chad inquired.

"It's not that simple," Tahno answered.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Get over it and just ask her out already before someone else does, like me for instance," he suggested with a smug smile, causing Tahno to narrow his eyes threateningly. "Ha! You do really like her, go figure."

For Korra, the school days now seemed to be passing in an unbearably slow tandem. Ever since the disastrous incident with Tahno's parents and the resulting fight with Tahno in his car, she and Tahno hadn't said a word to each other. She hated to admit it even just to herself, but going through the school day without those little conversations with him suddenly made White Falls Academy seem horribly bland. There were occasional moments throughout the day when she could laugh with her friends and temporarily forget her rancor with him, but a reminder was never far behind.

Tahno hadn't made any attempts to breach the distance between them yet, not even with a call or text message. Mako, however, had sent her at least a dozen text messages, and she had ignored and deleted every single one. Korra decided that if he really wanted to make things right with her, than he would do it in person or at least call her. And anyway, she couldn't understand why he all of a sudden seemed to have feelings for her. The irony that he was beginning to show interest right as she had started to lose interest in him irked her to no end. Amazingly, the confusion with Tahno was even greater, because she couldn't make heads or tails of how he was making her feel or what she should do about it. Mr. Tenzin had told her that she should take a step back and look at the situation with a renewed something or other, and she could only guess that he meant she shouldn't let her emotions affect her judgment, but that was going to be nearly impossible for her. She, who could never hide her emotions away or separate herself from them.

On the drive home after school that day, Korra turned on the radio, still stewing in her discontent and replaying memories she'd rather not think about. Then the strands of a song she had heard many times began floating out from the speakers. A song called "Frozen", written by Casper Denali. She lifted her hand to turn it off, but stopped and put it back on the steering wheel as she decided to just listen to it. It was a good song after all, and its melancholy vibe perfectly matched her mood. The strains of violin gave it a wistful air, while the deep bass and drums made it feel somber and contemporary, and for the first time, Korra really began to pay attention to the lyrics that she now knew Tahno had written.

_Lost inside the dark cave of emotional scars,_

_Trying to solve the twisted maze of this twisted heart._

Without warning, something seemed to prick at Korra's sympathy as she listened to the lines of pain and confusion, remembering that this was a song about trying to love and understand another person who seemed frozen.

_Snow falls in the place of unshed tears,_

_The ice freezes and burns; it chills and sears. _

_Fighting to get away from your frigid hold,_

_How the hell did you get so cold?_

Who could he have written this song about? For a moment her mind played with the possibility that it had been about an old girlfriend, but then the continued phrases about coldness made her think of Tahno's father and the way his eyes had appeared so cold and distant when she met him the other day. She had never before come across someone who was so much like a frozen statue. Korra then found herself thinking how lucky she was to have such warm and caring parents, unlike Tahno. But he wasn't like his dad. The way she melted at a single glance from his eyes was more than enough testament to that.

_Even though with cracked, bleeding fingers I still hold on,_

_If you never melt, I won't last for long._

As the song came to a close, Korra felt something shift in her heart; a second guessing of her thoughts and actions. Maybe she had been rash with Tahno and too quick to assume the worst.

That night, Tahno was lying in bed when he suddenly heard his doorbell ring. _'That's odd_,' Tahno thought as he got up and answered the door to find Korra in a coat that went to her knees and left her bare legs exposed to the wind and snow.

"Korra, what are you doing here? Get in before you freeze to death," Tahno exclaimed as he didn't hesitate to usher her inside.

Her hair was down, framing her face beautifully while the chilly temperatures had caused her cheeks to color nicely. And the shy but slightly mischievous smile she was giving him along with her bright and slightly hooded eyes were doing terrible things to his willpower.

"I wanted to come over and tell you I missed you. I'm sorry I pushed you away..." Korra whispered softly as she moved forward, taking her hands out of her pockets and unfastening the belt around her waist.

"I'm sorry too. I should have told you everything before..." Tahno started before Korra silenced him by putting her finger on his lips while the other hand undid the buttons on the coat.

"Answer something for me, _Pretty Boy_. Do you want me?" Korra asked as she raised an eyebrow, her eyes glazing over with lust as she spoke before she stepped back and put her hands on the lapels of her coat.

"Always," Tahno replied as he suddenly found his throat dry.

"Good, then take me," Korra commanded as she opened her coat and let it drop to the floor, revealing her body sheathed in nothing but a blue, silk, lace lingerie set that turned Tahno's dry throat to wet as his mouth started to water.

He wasted no time in closing the distance between them and grabbed her face to kiss her fiercely. He felt her smile against his lips and couldn't help but smile himself.

"Bed," she suggested as they broke apart for air.

Tahno began walking her backwards down the hallway as Korra continued to kiss him enthusiastically and helped him lift his shirt over his head. After it had been discarded, Korra jumped up into his arms to bring their bodies closer together, and he picked her up to carry her the rest of the way to his bedroom as she wrapped her legs around his waist and kept her lips locked to his. As his knees met the mattress, they fell onto the bed, and he put out a hand to keep himself from crushing her. She kissed him deep and hard while her legs pulled him even closer, and her hands raked across his back before settling into his hair so she could angle his head to kiss him better. Tahno's hands were everywhere they could reach and her skin was warm to the touch. She bucked her hips against him and Tahno nearly lost it. He abandoned her mouth in favor of her throat and jaw and nipped at an earlobe as he ground his hips into her, making sure to hit her center as he did so. The moan that emitted from her throat sent sparks of electricity down his spine before settling in his groin. He ground against her again and groaned at the incredible friction.

"Tahno, please," Korra begged in a strained whisper.

She started pushing at his hips with her hands, and as he lifted them up she immediately began pulling at the waistband of his pants. Tahno pulled himself back and sat on his knees as he tried to undo the fastening, which suddenly seemed impossible with his fumbling fingers.

"You want some help with that?" Korra purred as she sat up and placed her hands on his, speeding up the process and pushing his pants down his hips and thighs once they were undone. At the sight of his erection, she grinned and slowly raised her eyes to meet his seductively.

"Like what you see?" Tahno asked smugly as he smirked at her reaction.

"I _love_ what I see," Korra affirmed with a low hum in her throat as she licked her lips and kissed him again, stroking him a few times with the perfect amount of pressure. "But we have a problem; I still have too many clothes on," she complained with the sexiest pout Tahno had ever seen.

"That can be easily rectified," Tahno replied huskily as he leaned forward and dipped his fingertips into the top of her underwear and began to slowly pull them down when all of a sudden... he woke up.

Tahno gasped as he shot straight up in bed and cursed when he realized it was all just a dream and that he now needed to change his sheets. He also noticed that he had slept in and made himself late for school. Fantastic. And it was only Thursday. At this rate he wasn't going to make it to the weekend if he didn't do_ something, _which would be easier if he could manage to get them alone for two minutes, but it seemed the universe was against him.

It didn't help his predicament that Korra had started to return his gaze when he stared at her in school. Sometimes her eyes even had that challenging edge to them that made it nearly impossible to turn away. She had also been wearing that perfume that made his vision blurry and his brain fuzzy with lust, and she would walk by him _just close enough_ that he could get a good lungful, and he would turn his head in her direction to follow her for a few paces with his nose before his eyes could get a good look at her. Everything about her was as bewitching as hell. She was on his mind every waking hour and now in his dreams as well.

Since winter was beginning to settle in, most of the girls opted to wear thick tights under the skirts of their school uniforms to protect their legs, Korra included. But Tahno couldn't forget what lay underneath them; the sexiest legs on the planet, that led to the most perfect body on the planet, that belonged to the most amazing girl in the universe, and he had no choice but to curse his foolish self for messing things up with her and for not finding a way to get back with her yet. A part of him was saying that he just needed to give her time and that she would approach him when she was ready. Another, increasingly demanding part was insisting that he just go to her and beg her to forgive him, and he knew for certain that he would if he had the faintest idea of where to begin. Tahno admittedly hadn't had much experience with apologies in the past, preferring to make the idiots at this school feel like they should count their lucky stars if he even gave them the time of day. But now he saw how much his arrogance had cost him. Korra was not a girl for beating around the bush or taking other people's shit, and he was going to have to get his act together or risk never getting back in her good graces.

That night Korra sat in her deep bathtub, soaking in the soapy, oil infused water as thoughts of Tahno swirled around in her mind. She missed him; she could no longer deny it, but that didn't make her anger or hurt feelings go away, and it created a dark, sexual tension whenever they were in a room together. They still hadn't spoken to each other yet, but the looks of interest and longing between them had rapidly begun increasing in frequency and duration, and the heated intensity of his gaze was still capable of sending tingles up and down her spine.

Korra recalled to herself how hot those ice blue eyes seemed to burn as she started to apply her body oil while she sat in the steaming water, and her brain began playing tricks on her as she imagined it was Tahno's hands rubbing the divine smelling oil on her body. The fantasy kicked her hormones into overdrive, and she remembered how the looks he had given her in class today had nearly pushed her over the edge and made her want to get out of her seat and drag him out into the hallway just so he could push her up against a wall and kiss her the way she needed to be kissed. She imagined he would start kissing her passionately on the lips then move down to her jaw and her neck as he caressed her now slippery breasts and nipples with his hands as his weight would settle over her.

"Oh, Tahno," she half whispered, half keened as one of her hands snaked down to the building heat between her legs.

Her breathing hitched as she inserted two fingers and curled them to hit that one spot that made her toes curl. Then her breathing became labored as she stroked herself faster and harder, picturing Tahno's face, Tahno's body, and the way his voice sparked sensual chills all over her, building her up and bringing her to her height. Her hips jumped and ground against her hand as she got closer and closer to her goal. She chanted "Tahno" over and over before she threw her head back and arched as her orgasm took over her. She felt herself tighten around her fingers and spasm. After she came down, she relaxed until her limbs regained their strength and climbed out of the tub to find her hands and feet all pruny.

"Oh yeah, that's sexy," Korra muttered sarcastically as she dried off and got dressed for bed.

She couldn't get him out of her head, and she feared that she wouldn't until they cleared all this mess out from between them. But her stupid pride kept her from being the one to speak to him first, and the way she had treated him during their last conversation would almost assuredly keep him from coming to her. She cursed her temper for not the first or last time in her life and wished she had handled the situation more delicately. The only outlet she had now for the piling frustration was dive team, and she threw herself into training.

Korra's first dive competition was Friday night, and as usual, she was pumped and raring to show her stuff, but at the same time she was feeling a little nervous. She was going to be trying a brand new dive for the first time, and her usual cheering squad wouldn't be there. Bolin had a wrestling match that night, and Sasha would be in his cheering section back at RCH. Things still weren't cool between her and Mako, so he was going to support Bolin. Also, her mom had to work late and her dad had been called in, so Korra wasn't expecting to see any familiar faces in the crowd that night. She was quite surprised, however, when she heard her name being yelled from the stands as soon as she walked into the pool area. She looked up and saw Asami waving and smiling at her, to which Korra waved back, but then did a double take when she spotted Tahno sitting next to Asami. He gave her one of his half grins as he leaned casually on his elbows resting on his knees and held her stare as he lifted his fingers in greeting.

She waved back warily before forcing herself to tear her eyes away from him, gulping in awareness of his presence as she went to stand under the showers and stretch before it was her turn. She felt her body flushing with heat, knowing he was still watching her. Finally, her turn came and she climbed to the top of the platform, which, unlike the diving board, didn't move when the diver jumped off. She reached the top and took a few deep breaths before walking _almost _to the end and turning around with her back facing the pool.

"She's not at the end of the platform," Asami pointed out as she and Tahno watched in anticipation.

Korra raised her arms over her head and leaned backward until she flipped into a handstand. Her toes pointed to the ceiling in a perfect, straight line for a moment before she brought her legs down into the right-splits, then she rotated them into the middle splits and finally moved her legs into the left-splits. She did all this while balancing on her hands at the very edge of the seven and a half meter high platform. Tahno felt his jaw drop away from his face as he observed the unbelievable feat before Korra raised her legs back up into a straight line with her body, then used her arms to push herself off the platform and doing a set of twists and somersaults before hitting the water perfectly.

"Oh my god, what was she doing?" Asami exclaimed incredulously while she and Tahno clapped along with everyone else.

"Blowing away her competition," Tahno answered as his eyes followed Korra's form while she swam to the ladder, smiling at how she still maneuvered through the water like a marine mammal.

"I'll say. You can't beat that," Asami replied.

By the end of the night, Korra did end up winning first place in her division. After she received her trophy, she walked by where Tahno and Asami were waiting to congratulate her.

"Hey, congratulations!" Asami cheered, reaching forward to hug her.

"Thanks, I was worried that first dive was going to blow up in my face."

"Are you kidding? That was the most fantastic thing I've ever seen," Asami assured her.

"So what are you doing here?" Korra asked, directing her gaze at Tahno and holding her trophy awkwardly between them.

"Oh, you know me, Mr. School Spirit," Tahno responded as Asami and Korra looked at him like he had just grown a second head. "And you know, couldn't pass up the chance to watch my friends while they wipe the floor with the competition. Good job," he finished, shrugging and feeling more awkward than he hoped he looked.

Korra's countenance seemed to fall in resignation as her eyes dropped sadly to the floor. "Thanks," she mumbled before turning to enter the girls' locker room.

As soon as she was out of sight, Asami turned in Tahno's direction and smacked him on the back of the head. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded.

"What?" Tahno asked as he rubbed the back of his head where he got slapped.

"You said 'friends'. Is it really your desire to stay _just friends_ with her?"

"No," he answered honestly.

"This is just sad, even for you. After everything, THAT'S what you say to her?" Asami snapped as she put her hands on her hips.

"What do you expect me to do?" Tahno asked with a groan.

"Simple. Go and _talk to her_. Get all this crap straightened out between you two and tell her how you feel," she answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He let his eyes fall to the floors as he stuffed his hands into his pockets uncomfortably.

Asami rolled her eyes at his continued hesitation. "Are you really just going to let her keep on suffering like this? The whole school has noticed the way you two still look at each other. Clearly, it's not over for either one of you."

He looked up at her in surprise. "You really think she wants me to talk to her?"

"_Yes_. I know she does."

"Okay," he relented, letting out a heavy, anxious sigh and giving her a grateful smile before turning to head out the door. "Thanks for the push. You're not so bad, Sato."

"You know, I'm beginning to think the same about you, especially if half the stuff Korra says about you is true. Now get going," she said with a small grin as she nudged him toward the door.

After getting dressed and gathering everything in her gym bag, Korra began heading out into the dark parking lot, feeling tired and depressed despite her win. She made her way over to where her car was parked and looked up in shock when she noticed Tahno leaning against the side of her jeep.

"Can I help you?" she asked stiffly as she slowly closed the distance between them.

"I don't feel like I properly congratulated you earlier," Tahno replied, staring intently at her and maintaining his slouched position.

When Korra didn't say anything in response, he shoved away from the car and stepped closer to her, leaning his head down so she could see clearly into his face and eyes. "You're amazing, and I've never seen anything like you before. What you did tonight was pretty amazing too," he said, his voice low and soft and with sincerity in every syllable.

"Thank you," Korra muttered, trying to swallow past all the emotions his words and close proximity was eliciting. "So are you really that into supporting your school or did you come for another reason?"

"I only came to see you," Tahno admitted. "I knew you would crush all the other competitors, just like you did at all the swim meets, and I wasn't about to miss it."

"Do you do that for all your friends?" she inquired.

"No, I don't. But I don't want us to be friends. I want more than that."

"Tahno," she breathed out in a rush, feeling her heart soaring at his words, but still with a hint of reluctance niggling at the back of her brain.

He must have detected the doubt in her tone, because he continued on forcefully, "I'm sorry for everything I did to push you away from me. I'll do _anything_ to make up for it. Please, let me."

Korra felt two sides of herself warring together at his request; the prideful part wanting her to tell him to hit the road, and the other, which she didn't know the name for, wanted to jump into his arms and forget that she was ever mad at him. The pain seeping from his demeanor and the way his voice broke when he said 'please' finally melted her resistance.

"Anything?" she asked.

"Anything," he confirmed solemnly as if we was agreeing to a blood contract.

"I want you to answer my questions, and none of your answers can be 'it's complicated' or any type of equivalent. Deal?"

"Deal," he said.

"Get in the car," she ordered as a cold wind blew across the parking lot.

She unlocked the doors and got into the driver's seat as he slid into the passenger's. Then she started the engine and turned on the heat, taking off her gloves and scarf as she turned to face him. "If you wanted us to be together, then why did you insist to your parents that I was just your friend?" Korra challenged, jumping right into the issue.

"There's something you have to understand about my father; he does everything he can to control every aspect of my life. I didn't want to risk him deciding that you were a weakness he could sabotage, and he would have. But it was a mistake, because I ended up ruining whatever we had building between us while I was trying to prevent him from doing the exact same thing."

Korra scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "But why wouldn't he want you to date me?"

"When I first mentioned your family to him, he gave me the distinct impression that things weren't always peachy between our families, and it became apparent to me that he already didn't like the idea of us together. So I panicked and lied to him so he wouldn't ban me from seeing you or something idiotic like that."

"Somehow I get the '_distinct impression'_ you wouldn't follow that order even if he did give it," Korra countered.

"You're right, but he does have the uncanny ability to make my life hell if he so chooses," Tahno explained.

"So how many other girls have you written songs about besides me?"

"One," he answered and smiled as Korra frowned in jealousy. "Sura," he specified.

"Oh, well with the way your dad talked and the reputation you've got built up at school, I guess I assumed that you wrote songs for all your conquests," Korra admitted, triggering Tahno to groan in frustration and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Again, my dad has a penchant for making my life hell by being an asshole, and I'm willing to bet nearly every part of my so-called reputation is a lie."

"So you haven't slept with more girls then you have fingers and toes?"

Tahno set his jaw and held up two fingers. "Emily Anderson, freshman year, moved to Vermont two months in, and the second was Vanessa Ray who cheated on me three weeks in," he deadpanned.

"Oh," Korra replied, not knowing what else to say. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"How's Sura?" she asked suddenly with a hopeful smile, changing the subject. "I've hated not being able to see her again."

Tahno's face spread into a fond smile at the reference to his sister. "She's good. She never lets go of that scarf you gave her; she even sleeps with it. I think she misses you too. You should come over and see her sometime," he recommended.

"I'm free tomorrow if that's too soon," Korra offered, hoping she didn't sound too eager.

"No, that's not too soon. She would love to see you," Tahno assured her with equal eagerness as a silent pause filled the inside of the jeep for a moment. "And I would too," he included after a couple of seconds.

Korra's chin trembled slightly at the true-ness ringing in his eyes as he spoke. "You would?" she questioned, even though she no longer doubted his sincerity.

Tahno nodded his head simply. "I would also like to tell her you're my girlfriend. Can I?"

Instead of answering with words, and being the girl of action that she was, Korra leaned over the console and kissed him in a firm yes. Tahno's hands came up to cradle her face and pull her closer to deepen the kiss as hers settled on the back of his neck.

"I missed you," Korra whispered as she stopped for a moment to lean back and look him in the eyes. "So damn much it hurt."

"I missed you too. More then you'll ever know," Tahno responded before tilting his head back down to kiss her until they were just about mindless.

Then Korra began to gently rub where her hands rested on his neck, and Tahno had no choice but to break the kiss and groan while he rested his head on her shoulder so she had more access to his neck. "Oh dear lord, you weren't kidding when you said you had gifted hands. That feels _**so good**_, Jesus Christ..." Tahno practically moaned as he buried his head into the crook of her shoulder and zeroed in on the faint, leftover trace of where she had applied perfume that morning and softly nuzzled the spot with his nose while he inhaled deeply.

"Hey, that tickles," Korra murmured as she moved her hands to work on his shoulders and rest her head on his.

"Really? You don't say..." Tahno muttered as he did it again

Korra squirmed away from him and pushed him back as he nearly whined in protest and gave her a fake pout.

"I don't work when I'm being tickled," Korra warned while she gave him a playful smile. "Ok, Pretty Boy? Now wipe that pout off your face before I wipe it off for you," she taunted.

"Oh, baby," Tahno responded as he scooted closer to her, his pout melting into a wide and mischievous smile.

"When should I come tomorrow?" Korra asked, changing the subject.

His grin seemed to spread impossibly larger. "You can come whenever you want, for as long as you want, and _wherever_ you want."

"Oh my god," she said, rolling her eyes and blushing, but still smiling. "When may I arrive at your house?" she reworded carefully.

"As early as you can. Just call me when you're on your way."

"Alright, I suppose I can extend that courtesy to my first real boyfriend."

"Wait, _**real**_ boyfriend?" Tahno asked.

"Yes, besides Hawkeye, Spiderman, Wolverine, ..." Korra counted off her fingers before busting out in laughter at the look Tahno was giving her. "Hey, I have a thing for the tall, dark, and handsome type. What can I say?"

"Well, I can't argue with that," Tahno reasoned before reaching out and bringing her face closer so he could give her one last, soul-searing kiss before leaving her breathless and wanting more. "See you tomorrow, PrettyGirl."

* * *

_Author's notes-_

_Thank you Alaburn for that heartwarming yet heart wrenching scene of Korra listening to the song in the car as well as the song and song lyrics, as well as betaing and just generally being awesome. _

_Yeah...so now you can see why the story now has an M rating and it's only going to get worse/better/hotter from here. You've been warned. _

_Reviews are love. Thank you for reading. _


	11. Seeing Sura Dance

We Love the Water

Chapter 10

Neither Korra nor Tahno could stop smiling as they drove to their respective homes.

After pulling up to her house, Korra walked inside like she was floating on air, completely forgetting that her trophy was still in the backseat of her jeep.

"Well you look downright cheerful for someone who swore they wouldn't be walking through that door without a trophy tonight," Senna observed as Korra slipped out of her coat, a drunken grin still plastered on her face.

"What? Oh, the trophy!" Korra exclaimed as she snapped back to reality.

She slapped her forehead then turned and ran back outside to retrieve it from her car. "Guess who got first place with the most complicated and difficult dive of the night?" Korra asked proudly, holding up the first place trophy up as she came back inside.

"Congratulations," her mother replied as she hugged her. "I'm sorry Dad and I couldn't be there to see you do it, although, judging from that smile of yours, I can't say you feel too upset about it," she pointed out as she fixed her daughter with a questioning look.

Korra ducked her head in embarrassment, but her smile only grew bigger. "Yeah... Tahno asked me out afterwords, and I said yes," she admitted sheepishly.

"Took him long enough," Senna responded with a smile. "Well, seeing as how I have yet to meet him, we need to have him over for dinner. Sooner rather than later. How's tomorrow?"

"Actually, I'm going over to his house to hang out with him and his sister tomorrow," Korra said.

"Okay, well there's Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… you see where I'm going with this?" Senna asked teasingly.

"_Yes_, I do. I'll see when he's available. It can't get be worse than when I met _his_ parents at least," Korra muttered.

"You see now why I said what I did about hoping Tahno wasn't like his father? Cohen's a real piece of work."

"He's a real piece of something. 'Work' isn't the word I would use, but I guess it'll do," Korra replied darkly, causing her mother to chuckle. "You know, Tahno mentioned something about there being something akin to 'bad blood' between our families, because his dad didn't seem too happy to learn that I was even _friends_ with Tahno. Care to shed some light on that?" Korra asked.

Senna pursed her lips in thought. "I used to be good friends with Norah, Tahno's mother, back in college. I was also friends with Cohen before he turned out to be the world's biggest jerk. He was very manipulative and tried to control his friends, including me, and I think you can guess what happened after that. We got to the point where we couldn't be in same room for more than half an hour without fighting about something. It was just the way things were," Senna explained.

"Having met him, I don't find that hard to believe, but it's not going to be a family tradition that Tahno and I carry on," Korra concluded as she set her trophy with the others and headed to the kitchen for a snack before bed.

As Tahno arrived at his house that same night, he saw his father's office light on and the door standing open as he entered the house. He sighed, unsure of what to expect, but strolled bravely into the room nonetheless.

"Out late with your friends again?" his father droned from his desk.

"I was watching my girlfriend kick ass in her diving competition, actually," Tahno answered smugly as he crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

Cohen stopped and looked up at his son over the top of his reading glasses. "So you _are_ dating that Nivos girl. What made you think you could lie about something like that and get away with it?" he demanded gruffly.

"I'll admit that I seriously understated to you how important she is to me last week, but we only started going out about an hour ago, so I guess that makes you the first to know. Don't you feel special?" Tahno responded snidely.

Cohen narrowed his eyes darkly and Tahno could almost feel the temperature drop in the room. "I wonder if her family finds your impudence as _amusing_ as I do."

Tahno shrugged. "Her father seems to like me well enough and her grandmother loves me. She practically adopted me. I have yet to meet her mom," he answered truthfully.

Cohen started chuckling darkly, making Tahno feel nervous. "So when you went to her house, you never got to meet her mother?" Cohen stipulated in a slightly mocking tone.

"Are you saying I should be afraid?" Tahno inferred.

"I'm telling you to be prepared. Korra seems to be exactly like her mother all over again, which doesn't bode well for you. The women in that family are like wild horses, beautiful from a distance, but will trample you to death if you get too close."

Although the words were meant to be a warning, Tahno couldn't help but smile at the thought of his father being trampled by a herd of horses.

"Something funny, Tahno?" Cohen asked as he raised an eyebrow in question.

"It's nothing, and I'm not worried. If Korra really is just like her mother, then I can only guess her mother's going to be nuts about me," Tahno replied with smooth conviction.

"You think so, huh? She's nuts alright. That whole family is crazy and I have half a mind to forbid you from further associating yourself with them. However, knowing you, it may be more effective for you to learn firsthand just how backwards they all are. So go on, enjoy her charms while you can, before she shows you her true colors and you wind up looking like a moron, embittered and lovesick by the little harlot she'll undoubtedly turn out to be. It should be very instructive for you," Cohen retorted with equal certainty.

Tahno's hands knotted into rock-hard fists. "Nothing like that is going to happen. You don't know Korra. You've only spoken to her for five minutes, and she was more than polite to you," he said through clenched teeth.

"Haven't you learned anything about people yet? What you see is hardly ever what you get. The best liars are the ones who end up with the most success. Appearances are everything. If you believe whatever she shows you about herself, you'll quickly discover how disappointing it is to pin all your hopes on a dream, just to have the painful truth eventually slap you in the face."

"No. That's what YOU are like. She's the exact opposite of you; she's the purest and most honest person I've ever met."

"Pure?!" Cohen snapped suddenly. "If you think that then you're an even bigger fool than I could have imagined. She's no less of a bitch than the woman who birthed her."

"Don't you dare talk about her like that," Tahno growled, barely stopping himself from exploding in his father's face with the torrid rage building inside him.

"I'll talk about her however I damn well want. This is still my house and you're still my son. I'm warning you now, keep up this belligerent attitude you've been showing me lately, and you will find yourself in a situation I promise you don't want to be in."

Tahno stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes burning in his father's direction as he felt the insults and verbal backhands swarming in his head like wasps, desperate to be released. But somehow he held back. He remembered the softness of Korra's hair as it brushed against his fingers when he cradled her face. He recalled the warm caress of her kiss and the way her eyes sparkled at him in the small, dark space of her car not even an hour ago. She was his now, and nothing his father said or did would change that. He closed his eyes for a second and felt a margin of peace calm the storm, then he snapped his gaze back up long enough to say that he was turning in for the night.

Cohen grunted dismissively, already delving back into his work as Tahno whipped around to fade into the darkness of the hallway, but he stopped for a moment and listened to the sound of keys being tapped on a computer and papers being rustled through. All the things that were more important than him. He reflected on how this was always the way he ended up with his father, shoved away in the shadows and expected to do whatever he was told and adopt every principle that he was taught. '_The best liars are the ones who end up with the most success_'. Tahno leaned his back against the wall and pressed his face into his hands. He didn't know what to believe.

Later, as he was getting ready for bed and brushing his teeth, his phone vibrated with a text message from Korra.

Korra - 'Still up?'

Tahno smirked at the unintended double entendre.

Tahno - 'For you- always ;)'

Korra - 'Haha, very funny, Pretty Boy. Do you have plans Sunday?'

Tahno - 'Nothing that can't be worked around. Did you have something in mind?'

Korra - 'My mom wants to have you over for dinner. It would just be us, my parents, and Nana.'

Tahno - 'What are we having?'

Korra - 'What do you want?'

Tahno - 'You, at least 7 different ways.'

Tahno couldn't help the wicked smile that stretched across his face as he tried to imagine her reaction to that.

Korra - 'Really? Only 7? Huh, I counted at least a dozen ways I wanted you.'

Korra giggled with glee that she could come up with such an equally lascivious answer as she too stood in her bathroom and brushed her teeth.

Tahno's jaw dropped at her reply, causing the toothbrush to nearly fall out of his mouth as his brain went haywire for a moment.

Tahno - 'I didn't realize your family was so open-minded. Sunday is going be very interesting.'

Korra - 'FOOD - what do you want FOOD WISE when you come over Sunday?'

Tahno - 'Don't care, everything was awesome before.'

Korra - 'Ok, fine, just come over around 4, ok?'

Tahno - 'Why can't I come sooner?'

Korra - 'Cause that gives us time to actually MAKE dinner, unless you want to help with that then you can come sooner if you want.'  
Tahno - 'So...would 5am be too early?'

Korra - 'Yes. Noon, however, would be a reasonable hour. Oh, and when should I come over tomorrow?'

Tahno -'Technically, it's midnight, so now would be good'

Korra - 'haha, no. When would be a good time for SURA?'

Tahno - 'She usually wakes up around 8'

Korra - 'So would 9 be too early?'

Tahno - 'Nope, like I said, NOW would be a good time.'

Korra - 'Is something going on or are you just messing with me? I can't tell.'

Tahno, in all honesty, really would have LOVED for her to come over at that very moment to put his soul at ease after what his father had said to him earlier, even though he knew it was completely inconceivable that she would be able to come over. He hesitated a couple of minutes before replying to her last text, wondering how best to answer, when she called him instead.

"Tahno, what's going on? Are you just messing with me or is there actually a reason you want me to come over right now?" Korra asked, her tone revealing her concern.

Just the sound of her voice was like a soothing balm, and he breathed a sigh of relief before gently explaining, "Don't worry about it. My dad's just in rare form tonight, and dealing with him always puts me out."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is he going to be there tomorrow?"

"No, thank God. He has to be... somewhere else."

"Well, that will be nice, right? It'll be ok; you're strong, you're tough, and I'll be there in the morning. We can talk about it then, ok? If you even want to talk about it," Korra assured him in an attempt to soothe him, feeling slightly awkward.

"No, actually I would prefer to never repeat what he said," Tahno muttered, a scowl twisting his features as the recent memory of their argument still echoed in his thoughts.

Korra sucked in a pained breath. "Wow, that bad, huh? I'm really sorry, Tahno. Just... don't think about it. Think about... uh…"

"You?" Tahno supplied, his frown already melting away.

"Well, if it will _calm_ you down and help you _sleep_, then yes. Think about me all you want," Korra replied.

Tahno could practically hear the smile in her voice, solidifying a relaxed and happy mood inside him to replace the cold emptiness from before as he got into bed. "Already taking effect. So, a dozen ways, huh?" he asked cheekily.

"_Goodnight_, Tahno. I'll see you in the morning," she responded, half in annoyance and half giddy.

"Oh come on, please?"

"Goodnight."

"Fine. Goodnight, sourpuss," Tahno grumbled before Korra hung up.

He fell asleep soon after, still smiling.

The next morning at 8:50, Korra showed up at his door, her backpack still containing her bongo drums resting on her shoulder while her nerves churned in her stomach, but they soon eased when the door opened to reveal Tahno, looking happy and relieved to see her.

"Sourpuss? Really? That's the best you can come up with?" Korra teased with a playful smirk.

"Good morning to you too, Beautiful," Tahno answered sarcastically, but while stepping forward to kiss her with meaningful softness before pulling her inside and leading her to Sura's room.

"So am I too early?" Korra asked as she snaked her hand into his and fell into a comfortable gait alongside him as they walked down the hallway.

"Perfect timing," Tahno answered.

They came up to the door of Sura's bedroom just as Sura's nanny was coming out of it, looking slightly frazzled.

"What's wrong, Hannah?"

"To tell you the truth I'm not sure, Tahno. She's just in a mood today and determined to make me as miserable as she is. She barely let me dress her and nearly came apart when I tried to brush her hair. Nothing I could do would put her back into sorts. She won't even touch her piano."

"Go take a break for a while. I'll keep up with her until it's time for her nap."

"Oh, bless you, honey. Lord knows I love that child, but she wears me out like nobody's business," she said as she patted him on the shoulder and set off down the hallway.

Tahno gave Korra a wry smile before pushing the door open. "This may not be very much fun," he warned her.

Korra just rolled her eyes. "Oh get over yourself. How bad can she be?"

He shrugged a shoulder as he turned the knob. "You asked for it."

The door swung open and they stepped inside to see a pair of small feet wearing pink, fuzzy socks sticking out from underneath the bed. Korra waited as Tahno walked over, got on his knees, and started tickling the bottoms of the feet.

Then he began speaking in a gentle, lulling tone that Korra noticed he reserved only for his little sister, "Sura, I found your feet. Come out so I can put them back on your legs!"

A muffled, defiant "no!" sounded from beneath the bed, and the feet were yanked out of Tahno's hands and disappeared behind the ruffled bed curtain.

"Wow, she really is grumpy," he commented as he turned to look at Korra over his shoulder. "She usually loves it when I do that."

"What could have happened to upset her this much?"

"It's not always clear why she gets in a certain mood, but it's never just for some no good reason. We used to think it must just be part of the autism, but now I know that she always has a good reason for being angry or sad, she just doesn't know how to tell us what's wrong. Autism keeps her from being able to communicate normally," he explained as he stood up and began scanning the room to see if there was anything out of the ordinary.

"So it could be anything?"

He nodded. "Anything."

Then he frowned and made his way over to a turned over trash can in the corner, and as he bent to pick up a small object he asked accusingly, "Sura, did you throw away your hairbrush?"

A small, irritated groan was his answer, followed by a series of dull, patterned thumps.

"And that would be her kicking the wall," Tahno said with a resigned sigh as he came back to stand next to Korra, the plastic hairbrush still in his hand. "I think I know what's wrong with her. Every morning our mom comes in here to wake her up and brush her hair, but she left yesterday to see some friends out of town and won't be back until tonight. The time they usually spend together in the morning has become an established part of Sura's routine, and her routines are extremely important to her. My mom told her she wouldn't be here today, but I guess that didn't make much difference."

"Well of course not; she's five! I wouldn't care what the reason was, I'd miss my mom too. Why didn't she just take Sura with her?" Korra questioned as she crossed her arms.

Tahno dropped her gaze and turned his mouth into a grimace before answering. "Sura doesn't leave the house unless it's absolutely necessary."

"Why?"

"Well, I don't agree with them, but my parents think that the less people who know about Sura, the better. Only some of their friends and coworkers even know she exists and even less know that she's autistic, but none of them have met her. I'm not allowed to tell anybody, but I overlooked that with you."

Korra was in shock. "I don't know what to say."

He stared at her with pained eyes. "No, I guess you wouldn't. The way you were raised, the thought of hiding the existence of a child for the sake of appearances would be incomprehensible, as it should be. Don't worry, there's nothing _to_ say."

Tahno nearly cursed aloud for how badly this day was going already, and he was unable to imagine how it could possibly could get any more depressing. He wouldn't be surprised if she broke up with him after this. What person in their right mind would want to get mixed up with his family? If it wasn't for Sura, he would have left the day he turned eighteen. He watched Korra carefully to see what she would do next, half expecting her to runaway screaming, but what she _did_ do was not even close.

Korra turned away from him and sat on the floor next to the bed, shifting her bag around to unzip it and pull out its contents as she called out, "Hey Sura, it's me, Korra. I brought my drums over. I thought we could play together again."

Nothing but silence answered her, but at least the wall kicking had stopped.

Korra spoke again, this time her voice even softer, "I know your mom isn't here, but she'll be back tonight, and we can still have fun until then."

Tahno watched, hardly believing his eyes as the following events occurred. Korra began playing a fast, complicated rhythm on the small set of drums, after which Sura poked her extremely bushy head out from underneath the bed to stare with fascination at Korra's hands. A few seconds later she was crawling out completely, dragging the purple dupatta with her, and pressing her ear to the floor with a smile as she felt the vibrations from the drums in the floor as her curly, black hair stuck out in every direction. Then Korra sat back as Sura got up and leaned forward to take over beating the drums, mimicking Korra's playing almost exactly.

Korra smiled up at Tahno before inquiring, "What else does she like to for fun besides playing with instruments?"

Tahno had to shake his head to get the dumbstruck look off his face. "Uh, she has a Wii in her playroom that she gets on sometimes."

Korra gasped in excitement. "That sounds like fun! Sura, do you want to play on the Wii?" she asked, lowering her head back down to the little girl.

Without answering, Sura hopped up and ran out of the room.

"That would be a yes," Tahno translated with a laugh.

Korra laughed too. "Well she sure doesn't waste time."

A few minutes later Korra was helping Sura get 'Just Dance 3' set up, and she tilted her head at Tahno curiously. "Does she really know how to play this?"

He laughed again as he leaned back in a chair off to the side, rolling his eyes. "Not in the traditional way."

"Then how?"

"She gets one of her dolls and moves its arms and legs to make it do the motions instead as she watches the little person on the screen."

Korra put her hands on her hips as she scowled at him. "Have you not shown her how to do it yet?"

Tahno returned her stare with a condescending lift of his eyebrow. "Do I look like someone who plays Just Dance 3?"

"There's a first time for everything," she answered with an insistent tone.

"Yeah, sure. Good luck with that," he said, waving her off.

Korra just smirked and turned back to Sura. "Okay, are you ready?" she asked her, placing one of the controllers in the five year-old's hand. "Watch how I do it."

Korra immediately jumped into the dance steps being displayed on the T.V. as the song 'California Girls' by Katy Perry started playing. "See, Sura? You just gotta do what the dancer does," Korra instructed as she pointed to the screen. "Come on, Tahno!"

He shook his head with an amused look on his face. "I don't dance and this song is stupid."

"It doesn't matter, it's just fun!"

Korra's enthusiasm and obvious joy of dancing seemed to become infectious to Sura, and Tahno watched as his sister started dancing for the first time in her life.

"You got it!" Korra exclaimed with laughter as she kept her eyes on Sura and began mirroring her movements whether it went along with movements on the screen or not.

Sura answered with her own squeal of laughter and kept dancing and giggling as Korra sang along with the lyrics.

When Snoop Dogg's part in the song started, Korra turned her attention to Tahno as she continued to hop up and down. "Get in here, Tahno! That's your cue!"

The wide smile on his face dropped a little. "Are you calling me a pimp?" he asked, trying to stall for time.

"I don't care if you're a pimp, a ho, or a transvestite. Get your butt over here!" When he still didn't move, Korra turned back to Sura. "Tell your brother to loosen up and dance with us," Korra told her jokingly.

Sura skipped over to Tahno and kneeled down, wiggling her fingers on the bottoms of his shoes. "I got your feet!" she shrieked, the grin on her face splitting it nearly in half.

Not even his father could resist that, Tahno thought to himself as he was dragged to his feet, powerless to the charms of his sister and Korra, who had somehow turned Sura's temper tantrum into the happiest state he had ever seen her in. Of all the things he had envisioned himself doing that day, dancing like an idiot wasn't one of them, but there he was.

After dancing several more songs and finally getting tired, Sura decided to play some songs on her keyboard, and Tahno and Korra sat on either side of her as her busy fingers danced over the keys. Korra shifted her legs under her and leaned on an arm behind Sura as she continued to watch her play. Tahno did the same and settled his hand over hers, squeezing it lightly, and Korra turned to smile tenderly at him. Then when he began brushing his thumb over the back of her hand in spark-igniting circles, her eyelids fluttered closed in pleasure, and he stared unabashedly at the sweet and beautiful contours of her face. They stayed like that until Sura finished playing her song and they pulled away to applaud the performance.

Around noon, Tahno fixed lunch for all three of them, and they sat at the kitchen table where Korra and Sura played with the noodles as much as they ate them. Soon afterwords, Hannah came back to settle Sura down for her nap, and Tahno and Korra cleaned up the dishes.

"So what should we do now?" Korra asked and observed as his grin instantly took on a wicked glint, causing her to blush. "Get your mind out of the gutter," she complained, but grinned back just the same.

"What? I didn't even SAY anything," Tahno retorted innocently.

"You don't have to, your face says it all. Although I must say, this is the first time I've seen you wear that particular smile all day," Korra noted thoughtfully.

"You keep track?" Tahno asked curiously.

She nodded. "At school you usually wear this 'I don't give a shit' look like a mask all the time, and I have the hardest time trying to figure out what you're really thinking, _except _for those moments when you look at me sometimes, then it seems like the mask slips off for a second so I can see you before you put it back on. In a way, it kind of makes me feel special," Korra admitted as she nervously bit her lip.

"You are special," Tahno started sincerely before slyly including, "_especially annoying_." He laughed as she pouted in fake disappointment. "So that's how I look at school, huh?"

"That's not all. You also look like you think you own the place, but I don't think that has anything to do with a mask. I think you seriously suffer from delusions of grandeur," she replied sassily.

"Sticks and stones, Pretty Girl," he said, winking at her as he wiped a rag over the kitchen counter.

"So back to my original question. Are we just going to hang out? Play video games? I'm good at Halo and anything Mario. We could play board games, although I SUCK at Monopoly, but I am awesome at most card games. Oh, we could play 20 questions, like what's your favorite movie, food, and that kind of thing. OR we could talk about our '_**feelings'**_," Korra finished with the cheesiest grin she could muster.

"OR I could chop off my arm with a cleaver and feed it to Naga," Tahno counter-offered.

"Aw, you remembered my dog's name! That is so sweet," Korra crooned sarcastically as she turned around to stack clean plates back up in the cabinet.

As she did, her shirt rose up a couple of inches, showing how her jeans molded perfectly to that amazing derriere of hers. His eyes became shamelessly riveted to the sight, keeping him from coming up with another riposte to throw at her.

"You're checking out my butt aren't you?" Korra guessed with a self-satisfied grin, not even bothering to turn around.

"Guilty as charged. But it is rather perfect, just like the rest of you," Tahno confessed, shrugging as he did so.

Korra rolled her eyes and smiled as though he were joking as she responded, "That's really sweet, Tahno, but I mean, really. I can't even beat your breaststroke. How great can I be?" she quipped.

After putting the last dish away, Tahno closed the between them. "You know, if you really want to improve your breaststroke, I could give you some _privatelessons_," he mumbled sensually into her ear. "We don't even have to be in a pool."

"_Tahno_," Korra rasped in a warning tone, trying to ignore the chills that ran all the way down her body.

"Yeah, you're right. Your breaststroke is hopeless," he relented with a mischievous grin as he leaned back. "How about I show you what I've been working on? Music wise, anyway?" he offered as he tilted his head toward the basement door.

"Hell yeah," Korra confirmed enthusiastically as an excited smile exploded onto her face and tried desperately to keep herself from bouncing up and down.

They walked down the steps to his studio, and Korra sat in the same seat she had occupied during her first visit and watched as he turned everything on and handed her a set of headphones.

"Don't want to wake up Sura," he explained.

Korra nodded and put them on, waiting expectantly for the music to start playing. When it did, Tahno turned to watch Korra's reaction and saw a thoughtful expression form on her face as she listened and watched the music being broken down into different layers on the monitor.

"This layer… that sounds like a bell every fourth beat," Korra began as she turned to Tahno to make sure she had his full attention.

"Yeah, and?"

"It makes it sound... sour," she furthered.

"Sour?" Tahno repeated defensively as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it sounds sour. For the most part, the song has a sweet feel overall, but that little bell sounding in the back ground just seems... out of place. I don't know, I could be wrong," Korra offered, unsure if critiquing his music was stepping over the line or not.

Tahno processed her evaluation for a moment before answering, "Well you don't want something too sweet do you? You have to have a balance."

"I suppose," she responded with a shrug as they continued to listen.

But now Tahno was starting to doubt his previous decision, and he stood up to adjust the dials that controlled the different sounds.

Korra raised herself up to join him as she watched him work. "What do those do?" she asked as she pointed to the knobs at the top of the board.

"Those would actually control the bell tone," Tahno answered before explaining how to use them, deciding to allow her to change the tone to her liking

He was impressed by how perceptive she was and how quickly she caught on to working the different mechanisms, but then he looked down at the way she was bending over the soundboard, and he completely lost his train of thought. He couldn't help but notice how her shirt, while perfectly modest when she was standing up, afforded the most tantalizing view of her cleavage, and he spotted a sliver of her black, lace bra peeking just over the edge of her neckline. He let his eyes wander over her shamelessly and noticed that her top had risen up to reveal her hips and lower back, and God help him, but his mind couldn't even register the music playing anymore.

From his gut-clenching observation, he discerned that her hips were the perfect size and shape for his hands to grab a hold of. Then Tahno had to bite back a moan as he saw her jeans slide down just enough to bare the top edge of her underwear, and he came to the heart-stopping realization that she was wearing matching lingerie. So not only was she wearing No. 38-21, which was already doing a hell of a job at threatening his self-control, but now he also basked in the knowledge that she was wearing _**matching, black lace lingerie. **_His mind started to feed him fantasy after fantasy of her body leaning over his soundboard the way she was now as he took her from behind. Of him alternating from gripping her hips so hard that it might bruise to bending over and kissing a trail up her back and across her shoulders while his hands paid homage to that magnificent chest of hers, or perhaps her laying under him in his bed as he took her lingerie off with his teeth and worshiped her body before seeing just how loud he could get her to scream his name.

"How about that?" Korra asked as she pushed off to stand up right, looking at him expectantly and pulling him back to reality.

Tahno swallowed against the lump in his throat as he gripped the table's edge for dear life. If he let it go, he was afraid he was going to try to start living out those fantasies right then and there, which would probably earn him nothing but a well-deserved black eye, and, admittedly, it was too soon in the relationship for things to go that far. But he also realized that he would never be able to look at his soundboard again without imagining Korra bending over it in sexy lingerie.

"Yo, Earth to Tahno," Korra said as she waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his lust-filled daze.

"Yeah, it sounds great. Good call," Tahno covered quickly, trying to cover up the fact that he hadn't been paying a lick of attention to whatever she had been doing other than bending over and giving him the most inspirational and thought-provoking view he had ever seen.

"Really? Thanks," Korra chirped as she gave him a brilliant smile that made him feel guilty as hell for thinking about her in not so gentle ways.

"Don't mention it."

"And I'm really impressed you managed to listen so coherently while checking out my ass again," she retaliated, crossing her arms and maintaining her broad grin.

Realizing he had been caught, he just sighed as he responded matter-of-factually, "I already told you it was perfect just like the rest of you; what do you expect me to do?"

Korra's smile melted as her stare became skeptical. "Either your standards are slipping or you must be going senile at an unusually early age. I'm far from perfect. I'm brash, impatient, hot headed, childish, stubborn as hell, jealous, impulsive, I have a temper like you wouldn't believe, and I procrastinate like there's no tomorrow."

Tahno shook his head. "I don't care about any of that. Did you not see how Sura just lit up when you were with her? I've _never_ seen her get like that. She's never known anyone like you; you're so full of life and warmth it's insane." Then he added in his mind, '_I've never had anything like you in my life before, and now that I do, I'm not giving you up any time soon'_.

Korra's eyes softened and suddenly she was wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a deep, searing kiss. His arms came around her back to fold her into his embrace and cling to her as though he were drowning, moving his lips against hers to cement everything he had just said. Then she pulled away before either of them were ready to stop as she looked at the clock on the wall.

"I have to go," she whispered as she stared at him longingly. "My dad told me to be home by three o'clock and that six hours was more than enough time to spend alone with you."

"I guess he knows what teenage guys are like," Tahno commented.

Korra got her things together, and before Tahno walked her to her car he handed her an MP3 CD. "Here, I put the song I made for you on it, in case you wanted to listen to it again," he said without a single trace of smugness as he placed it into her hand.

Korra her other hand on the back of his neck and stood on her tip toes as she gave him a final kiss before saying, "Now who's perfect, Pretty Boy?"

* * *

_Author's notes-_

_Thank you Alaburn for being an awesome beta and that amazing scene with Sura and getting Tahno to dance. _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love. _


	12. Dinner with the Family

We Love the Water

Chapter 11

Tahno arrived at the Nivos household early Sunday afternoon and heard music playing from somewhere inside as he walked up to the front door. He recognized it as one of his songs as he knocked and waited patiently until Tonraq answered the door.

"Tahno, you're early. The girls are in the kitchen," Korra's father greeted as he stepped back to allow Tahno in the house.

Tahno followed the strands of music and the sound of female laughter to the kitchen where he was met with the smell of something heavenly being cooked. He entered the room, unnoticed by either Korra or her mother and grandmother, and leaned against the back wall, smiling and holding back snickers as he watched Korra hopping around the kitchen as she cooked and sang along to the music with zeal while Naga slept in the corner as though she was accustomed to this kind of calamity. Once the song ended, Tahno announced his presence by clapping, and he chuckled when Korra jumped and turned around with a yelp.

"Tahno! What the hell?!" she demanded as she threw a damp washrag at his face.

He caught it with ease and continued to laugh at her flustered state as she dashed to her phone to turn off the music. "Sorry, just enjoying the show," Tahno replied as he gently tossed the rag back to her. "Why did you turn it off?"

"Don't want you to get a headache," Korra answered in mock sweetness. "How long have you been standing there?" she asked as she went back to mixing batter in a bowl.

"Just for a minute," he answered as he noticed the middle-aged woman who had to be Korra's mother looking him up and down carefully.

"So you must be the famous Tahno," she said warmly as she dried her hands with a cloth.

Tahno came forward and offered his hand for her to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Nivos."

"You can call me Senna, Tahno. No need to be that formal here," she replied casually as she firmly shook his hand. "Have a seat there at the table if you want to."

"Thanks, but I wouldn't mind helping if there's something I can do," Tahno offered.

"He is a pretty good cook," Korra shared hopefully as she looked at her mother.

Nana nodded and directed him to stand next to Korra, handing him a cutting board and a chef knife as she pointed to a pile of vegetables. "Chop those up for us, Dear."

Tahno went to work, stealing glances at Korra who was adding things into a bowl without measuring. "I take it there isn't a recipe that you're following," he muttered.

Korra turned and smirked. "Nope, most of the food you are going to be eating today doesn't have written recipes. It's all passed down from generation to generation," she answered proudly as she continued to stir.

"So, how's your family doing, Tahno? Everyone well?" Senna inquired politely.

"Everyone's fine," Tahno answered vaguely.

"Oh, that's good to hear," Senna replied as she continued to knead dough in a bowl with her hands. "So Korra tells us you're into music? She's been playing that CD you made her on repeat ever since she got home last night. I'm actually surprised it wasn't playing when you got here, and I have to say I'm impressed. It takes real talent to put something like that together."

"Thank you," he responded, completely surprised that she would like it.

"Korra says your father doesn't care for it, is that true?" she then asked him carefully.

"Yeah, he thinks it's a waste of time," Tahno answered blandly.

"Well that's a shame. He should be proud," Senna lamented in disappointment as she shook her head slightly. "Sounds like he's still as much of a hard-ass as ever," she added, her mouth quirking into a half smile.

Tahno nearly choked on a laugh at her forwardness and turned to look at her in wonder. "You can say that again," he confirmed.

"I thought as much. Your mother and I used to be best friends in college, and your dad was pretty severe even back then, but I'm happy to see you've broken the cycle of hard-asses," Senna explained as she nudged him playfully with her elbow and winked.

Tahno grinned back as he finished with the vegetables and put them in the bowl provided. But then suddenly he felt a firm pinch on his left butt cheek, causing him to knock the bowl over and spill its contents all over the counter in his shock.

"Nope, still hard if you ask me," Nana announced as passed behind him.

"Nana! What the hell is wrong with you?" Korra demanded as her face went beet-red, looking as though she would like to die at that very moment.

"Why am I hearing you talk to your Nana like that, young lady?" Tonraq asked as he entered the room.

"She just felt up my boyfriend! Dad, tell her to stop. He's mine! She can go find her own boyfriend if she wants to do that," Korra whined.

Tonraq began chuckling. "What makes you think she would listen to me? If Tahno doesn't want her attention, tell him to buck up and tell her himself."

Tahno watched as all eyes turned to him, and he swallowed passed his initial surprise to respond smoothly, "Well I'm afraid it wasn't meant to be, Nana. Korra is the jealous type after all, and as much as I like you, it would probably be for the best if we tried not to rile her up. She has a hell of an arm, and I'm not crazy about the idea of seeing what a bruise from her feels like."

Nana smirked slyly before replying, "Good answer," as she reached up and patted his shoulder, then went to stand next to Korra at the stove who started grumbling something to her in a language that Tahno couldn't understand.

As Tahno started to clean up the chopped vegetables and put them back in the bowl, Tonraq walked over and clapped him on the back. "Tahno, would you do me a favor? As soon as you're finished helping in here, come join me in my workroom for a few minutes. I'd like to have a word with you if you don't mind. It's just down the hall."

Despite the fact that there wasn't a trace of threat in the man's demeanor, Tahno couldn't stop the knot of uneasiness that suddenly formed in the pit of his stomach. "Sure, no problem," he assured him as Tonraq smiled in gratitude and left the room.

When Tahno turned back around to face the rest of the kitchen, he noticed Korra's mother looking silently at him with her head tilted to the side as though in deep thought.

"What is it?" he asked lightly as she continued to stare at him curiously.

"Nothing," she responded with an easy smile, dumping the dough onto a floured board to begin working at it with a rolling pin.

"Are they talking about me?" Tahno questioned her as he nodded towards Korra and her grandmother who were still bickering by the stove in an unknown language.

"Oh, don't worry. Korra's just setting some ground rules with her Nana regarding you, like no more bottom pinching for instance," Senna roughly translated with a gentle laugh. "My daughter is becoming rather protective of you, I'm afraid."

A smile spread on his face at her comment as he plopped the last vegetable slice into the bowl. "So what else can I do?" he inquired.

"I think that's all for now. You can go ahead and see what Tonraq wants to talk to you about. His workroom is the second door on the right," Senna replied.

"Okay," he said, the knot now starting to twist uncomfortably.

Right before he left the kitchen, Tahno turned his head to catch a last glimpse of Korra, and at the same time she looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile, as if she was reading his thoughts and letting him know he had nothing to worry about. He smiled back and took a deep breath as he headed down the hallway. The door Senna had indicated was open and he walked up to it, hesitating in the doorway.

"Come on in, Tahno," Tonraq greeted, waving him in from where he sat at a long, wooden desk.

Tahno stepped inside the very masculine looking room with minimal furnishings. There was a bookshelf stocked with books on wildlife and forestry as well as various instruction manuals and even some historical biographies. An impressive collection of tools and hardware items were neatly stored on shelves and hooks. But the most prominent thing in the room was the large gun rack standing against the back wall, containing several large and imposing looking rifles and shotguns.

"Have a seat," Tonraq told him, pointing to a chair about four feet away from his own.

Tahno obeyed, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.

"So you've decided to date my little girl," Tonraq began as he put aside the leather utility belt he had been oiling.

Tahno cleared his throat before answering, "Yes, Sir. I hope that's okay with you."

Tonraq looked reflectively at him before responding, "Senna and I have raised Korra to be strong minded and self-assured, and we trust her to make good decisions for herself. Not that she's never made a mistake, because she has. A lot of them. But she also learns from her mistakes, and that is one of the key building blocks in gaining wisdom. Do you know about wisdom, Tahno?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," he replied honestly.

"I mean do you know the difference between intelligence and wisdom?"

Tahno was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question, but he recovered quickly as he considered it. "I suppose intelligence is the amount of knowledge you have, and perhaps your ability to learn, and then wisdom would be… applying that knowledge to your life, I think."

Tonraq gave him a small nod. "You're partly right. Intelligence involves the passive absorption and storage of facts, skills, or ideas. Wisdom, however, wisdom is learning from your mistakes; it's living life and learning what it means to be human. Wisdom is what gives you common sense and the ability to judge what is true, right, and lasting, and it gives you insight into the rest of your life."

He paused for a moment as he let Tahno ponder his words and then continued, "I don't expect you to be perfect; no one's perfect. And after all, Korra can be a lot to handle for someone who isn't used to her yet, but I hope you're willing to learn from your mistakes."

Tahno gave him a slight, self-conscious grin. "Actually, I've done that a few times already with Korra."

Tonraq chuckled, "Is that so?"

"I've learned that it hurts her feelings if I'm not completely open and honest with her, and that if I argue with her, I might find my belongings being thrown over my head. Also, I've found out that things aren't always how they seem with her, and that I can't jump to conclusions or I end up looking like a moron."

Tonraq's face stretched into an appreciative grin. "That sounds like my Korra. I'm glad to see you're starting to know her better and that you seem to really care about her. Just know this, Son, Korra means everything to her mother and me. She's our whole world. As her boyfriend, you hold a special place in her life, and I accept that, but I want to make sure you understand what kind of responsibility that places on you."

He then gave Tahno an expectant stare, and Tahno realized he had to prove to his girlfriend's father that his intentions were honorable.

"Yes, Sir, I only want what's best for her. I would never purposefully hurt her, and I'll always do whatever I can to keep her safe."

"That's what I needed to hear. Now like I said before, Senna and I trust Korra to make the right decisions for her own life, and I want you to do the same. Respect her in everything you do and everything you say. She deserves nothing less and I expect nothing less. Are we on the same page?"

Tahno nodded his head in affirmation. "We are. I promise to respect her, Tonraq," he said sincerely.

With a relieved sigh, Korra's father stood and gestured for Tahno to follow him out the door. "Well I guess that's all I needed to say. Come on, the Seawolves are playing tonight."

Tahno followed him into the living room where Tonraq turned the T.V. onto a sports station and settled himself into an armchair. Tahno sat on the large couch and watched as the beginnings of an NCAA hockey game showed up on the screen.

"Do you get into hockey, Tahno?" Tonraq asked.

"I'll catch an NHL game every now and then," he answered with a shrug.

Tonraq waved his hand dismissively. "Professional is good too, but it's not the same as following college sports. It doesn't have the same heart in the fans. The college you attend becomes almost like your family and you continue supporting it long after you leave, like being a part of a tribe. The professional leagues just don't have that same camaraderie. Family is everything."

The older man turned his attention back to the game, but Tahno's mind was reeling from what he had just told him. He would love to believe it, but his family just wasn't like Korra's. It was true that Sura held his heart in her tiny hands, and he did love his parents, but it wasn't the same warm, trusting love that Korra had for hers. His father was always drilling him about honoring the family name, but why did it matter so much to him? A name is just a front. And then Tahno remembered what his father said the other night, '_Appearances are everything_'. Family, appearances, they couldn't both be right. In his heart he felt that Tonraq was right, but he also saw credibility in Cohen's statement. As Tahno's work in the music industry grew, he had come to realize how important the name you carry is, because it is inextricably tied to your reputation and consequently your success.

Tahno scowled irritably, forcing the battling thoughts from his mind so he could focus on being there with Korra's family. The hockey game carried on and every now and then Tonraq shared information about the team and certain players and how the season was going so far. They started building up a discourse on the progress of the game and discussed how well some players were doing verses other players. When the Seawolves scored their first goal, Tonraq let a loud whoop and stomped his foot in victory even though his team was still behind.

At the sound of her father's rejoice, Korra came into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Tahno. "Ugh, Dad! Why didn't you tell me the game started?"

"Sorry, Honey," Tonraq answered vacantly, his eyes glued to the T.V.

"This is our team," Korra explained to Tahno enthusiastically. "My dad went to the University of Anchorage." Then she smiled and wiggled closer to him. "Having fun?"

"Loads," he replied softly, thinking it would be more fun with her snuggled against him.

But it didn't exactly happen the way he imagined. It turned out that Korra was just as passionate about Seawolf hockey as her dad, if not more so. Several times throughout the game she lurched away from him to sit on the edge of the couch and scream at the players, whether in frustration or joy. Tahno even found himself flinching a couple of times as her hand narrowly missed his head when she punched the air to let out her emotion.

The game ended in a loss for the Seawolves, but Korra and Tonraq still held their heads proudly in the firm satisfaction that their team had given the winners a good run for their money as they all made their way to the dining room table once Senna announced that dinner was ready.

"So, Tahno," Nana began as they were seated and started eating. "Being as musically inclined as you are, I bet you're a marvelous dancer."

Tahno looked suspiciously at Korra, wondering if she had told her family about his embarrassing debacle on the Wii.

But Korra didn't notice his glance as she gave her grandmother a warning glare. "Don't even think about trying to take him to the club with you, Nana!"

"The club?" Tahno repeated.

Tonraq grinned humorously as he answered, "My mother in-law likes to go to a nightclub downtown called 'The Ice Cube' every now and then. She's actually pretty famous there."

"More like _in_famous," Senna supplied slyly.

"You know what they say about good dancers…" Nana continued with a crafty smirk.

Korra groaned as she slapped her palm against her face.

"Um… I'm not a good dancer," Tahno muttered, half smiling and half grimacing.

"Then what are you good for? There's nothing like a man who knows his way around a dance floor," Nana suggested. "I'm an excellent teacher. I've learned many different styles from almost every culture you can think of. Why this old caboose has shaken it on every single continent."

"Mother, you're making him uncomfortable," Senna chastised.

"Well then let him say so. I don't hear him complaining."

"If anyone's going to teach my boyfriend how to dance, it's going to be me. End of story," Korra stressed to Nana before turning back to Tahno. "Just ignore her and eat your food."

Tahno smirked and said to Nana, "What did I tell you? The jealous type. Ow!" he complained as Korra kicked him under the table.

"Korra," her mother reprimanded. "Do I really need to tell you to act your age?"

"That's okay, Senna," Tahno said. "I've already learned that spending time with Korra means taking the sweet with the sour."

"Ha ha," Korra mumbled drolly.

"You remind me so much of the way Cohen used to be," Senna chuckled, bringing Tahno's lighthearted mood thudding back to earth. "You have his sense of humor and… sarcastic charm," she added thoughtfully.

"I wasn't aware my father ever had sense of humor," Tahno replied, feeling completely dumbfounded.

"Oh, people change sometimes. He could be pretty funny if the mood struck him, and he's always been very clever. It takes intelligence to be witty, which is something you seem to have inherited from him."

Tahno couldn't think of anything to say, and there was a drawn out break in the conversation.

"So how's that little sister of yours? Korra says she plays the piano like a professional musician," Senna inquired, changing the topic.

Tahno felt Korra looking at him in concern, and he paused briefly before answering, "Yeah, she does. She's a prodigy. And she's doing okay; she has her off days sometimes but we get through them."

Then Nana spoke up, "What is the name of her disorder again? Korra told me but I forgot."

"Nana, he may not want to talk about it," Korra worded cautiously.

Tahno did a feel a little awkward as he wasn't used to talking about Sura, but he smiled at Korra in reassurance before he responded, "She has autism. It's a neural disorder that delays communication."

"And she's such a talented pianist. She has to be a very smart little girl," Nana commented amiably.

"She's a freaking genius!" Korra emphasized, causing Tahno to feel a warm gratitude spread in his chest. He could literally feel his affection for Korra grow as he looked at her softly.

"I can't wait to meet her," Senna announced suddenly. "Your parents must be so proud to have two such musically gifted children."

Tahno frowned, wishing it were true. "My mother likes it, but my father's really more interested in my skiing. He thinks it'll look good on my university applications."

"You ski, huh? How's that going for you?" Tonraq asked interestedly.

"I have a tournament coming up in a few weeks, and my prospects look okay," he replied.

"That's great. Where do you go to practice?"

"There's actually a ski lodge about an hour's drive from here that I go to, and I was planning on asking you tonight, Korra, if you wanted to go over there with me this Saturday. I was going to get in some practice and I thought you might like to bring your snowboard. Also, some of our friends are going to be there that same weekend. Sasha is going and she's definitely going to bring Bolin."

Korra turned to stare eagerly at her parents. "I can go, right? It's been forever since I boarded! Please?"

"I don't see why not," Senna relented as she looked sideways at her husband.

Tahno shrugged. "Sure, sweetheart. Just don't get so worked up that you slack on your schoolwork this week."

"I won't," Korra promised excitedly.

"And please, for the love of all that is holy, clean your room," her mother added.

"_Mom_, ok!"

They finished dinner shortly after that and spent the rest of the evening in the living room, where Korra's parents continued inquiring more about Tahno, his family, and just about his life in general. They ended up talking and laughing about the day Korra and Tahno first met, at the wedding of a mutual friend of the Nivos' and Malek's. Senna pulled out an old photograph of the little ring bearer and flower girl getting ready to walk down the aisle. Korra was tossing her petals everywhere in an enthusiastic frenzy while Tahno held up the pillow like a shield as he scowled at her uncouthness.

"You can keep that one," Senna told him. "We have plenty of copies."

At the end of the night, Korra walked Tahno to his car as she asked him, "So what did my dad talk to you about?"

"Uh… wisdom."

"Wisdom?"

"Yeah, and how he expected me to treat you and stuff."

Korra groaned, "Ugh, I'm sorry. He can be pretty intrusive sometimes."

"Don't be," Tahno assured her. "I'm glad you have a father who's that concerned about you."

Korra detected the melancholy in his expression and decided to switch tactics. "I hope you're not too embarrassed when I make you eat my snow on the slopes this Saturday," she teased him as she leaned against his car.

"Is that a challenge?" he whispered with smirk, bracing an arm against the car beside her and tilting his head down to better meet her sardonic gaze.

"A warning. You should be scared," she answered confidently.

"Yeah, I'm shaking in my boots over here," he breathed into her ear, leaning down to press his lips against the sensitive lobe, then trailing them around her cheek to meet her mouth.

He was about to deepen the kiss when Korra suddenly pulled back. "My parents are probably watching from the window."

Tahno sighed as he quickly took a step back. "Well they can blame you. You're the one barricading the door to my car, keeping me from leaving."

"Rain check?" she requested, her eyes still filled with heat and shining at him like blue fire.

"What exactly does that mean?" he asked, his heartbeat rising with curiosity and desire.

"Meet me at the spot in the woods behind the school right before lunch tomorrow. The place with the creek. We can pick up where we left off," she hinted suggestively.

Tahno nearly growled before responding, "I think I can squeeze it into my schedule."

Korra laughed as she pushed away from the car and began walking back to her house. "How lucky for me. Goodnight, Pretty Boy."

"See you tomorrow, Pretty Girl."

They met at the spot by the creek not once, but every day from Monday to Friday, every chance they got. After they wound up spending their entire lunch period at the secluded location on Monday and Tuesday, they learned to just start bringing their lunch with them. Each time they became more forward when they kissed each other and battled to see who could get the best of who. The boulder that sat by the creek turned out to be quite handy, and Tahno and Korra almost didn't notice the cold weather, given how warm they could make each other feel with the various angles and positions that the large rock allowed.

After school was over each day, Tahno waited until Korra's diving practice was over, which only carried on for about thirty minutes. Then they would walk to the parking lot together where they would either drive to Tahno's house to hang out with Sura, or anywhere else they elected to spend time together. Meanwhile Tiffany watched like a hawk, every move they made she noted. She even overheard them using their pet names they seemed to have for each other. 'Pretty Girl, rather bland, unimaginative,' Tiffany noted one day but stored it away with all of her other information she seemed to gather on them. She didn't feel she was stalking but rather keeping a close eye on Tahno, he needed to be protected from the destructive nature that seemed to emanate from Korra. He was changing so much already, she feared the changes would be permanent. She needed to do something and soon before she lost him to Korra entirely.

On Friday, Tahno had to leave right after school to meet with a band he was thinking about signing, so he walked Korra to the pool to tell her goodbye and that he would pick her up for the ski trip the next morning. After he kissed her and began walking away, she smiled with an unexplainable euphoria that lasted all through practice and stayed with her until she began making her way across the nearly empty parking lot and saw a tall figure standing next to her jeep.

"Hey, Mako," Korra greeted dully as she opened the door to the backseat and threw her bag in, then slammed it loudly to demonstrate that she was still angry at him.

"Korra, can't we talk? I'm going crazy here," Mako complained miserably.

"Look, I don't think you want to hear the things I would say if we talked right now, and I would probably regret them, so let's just… not."

"So you want to just forget our friendship and never speak to each other again?"

"I'm not saying I NEVER want to speak to you again, just not until I feel like forgiving you for lying to me and purposefully wiping your feet on my feelings."

As she made to move for the driver's seat door, Mako placed himself in her way, forcing her to stop and look at him. "Bolin told me you and that Tahno guy are going out now."

"So what?" Korra snapped as she crossed her arms and stared aggressively at him.

"_So_, I told you before I didn't like him."

Korra laughed humorlessly. "I don't give a fuck. Now MOVE."

"Why are you trying so hard to get away from me? Did that asshole forbid you from seeing me or something?!"

"No! Of course not! He's not like that at all. Give me a little more credit in my choice of boyfriends."

He sighed, defeated. "I'm sorry, okay? And I'm really sorry for lying to you that time. I know you wanted _me_ to be your boyfriend, but it just took me a little bit longer to realize I wanted us to be together too."

"Is that really what you want, Mako? Or is this because of something else?"

"Like what?"

"Do you just want to win? Do you just miss having your own personal fan girl following you around like a sick puppy, and now that she's moved on you've decided to stake a claim?" Korra asked, her eyes boring into his with undisguised hostility.

Mako dropped his own eyes to the ground for a moment, betraying the truth in her accusation. "Why would you even suggest that?" he retorted defensively. "I care about you, and I don't want to see you get hurt. The shit I've been hearing about Tahno isn't good, Korra."

"And that's all it is, a big fucking load of bullshit. Now get out of my way; I need to get home and pack my snowboard gear."

"Why would you do that? Going snowboarding tomorrow?" Mako inquired.

"Yes as a matter of fact I am, with Tahno, for our date, now please get out of the way before I make you and you and I both know you taught me how and you taught me well." Korra bit out in warning.

He kept standing where he was for a beat more, maintaining his rigid posture, until he finally stepped aside. Korra got in her car, turned the ignition, and blazed out of the school grounds. She fumbled with the buttons on her stereo until Tahno's CD began playing and she immediately felt her rage dissipate. Korra wondered if she should tell Tahno about her altercation with Mako but finally decided against it. Why let Mako ruin a perfectly good trip?

* * *

_Author's notes- Thank Alaburn for this chapter, she wrote like 90-95% of it. That's because she is more then just a beta, a best friend but also an amazing co-writer and just...I don't deserve her. _

_Also go to DA and look up ShOrtSh4dow, she is our official fanart girl and good god is she talented and amazing and I wish I could express to you the joy she brings to our lives. She is truly amazing, I am so unworthy, you have no idea. _

_Anyway, thank you so much for reading, reviews are LOVE and they just push us to write faster, no joke. _


	13. Fun in the Snow Part 1

We Love the Water

Chapter 12

Part 1

Korra's alarm went off and she reached blindly for her phone to hit the snooze. She had just been having a wonderful dream about Tahno and her in a hot tub and... She sat up and gasped. Tahno was going to be picking her up in about half an hour to go skiing. Well, _he_ was going to be skiing anyway; she was going to snowboard and kick his ass all the way down every hill they took. They had discussed what was at stake and decided that the loser had to give the winner a back rub. Which, however the results turned out, Korra was confident in the knowledge that she would still wind up with the upper hand. Her studies in Chinese medicine had taught her where to find certain chi points in the body, and if she pushed them just right, she could render Tahno into a pile of lust-filled putty in her hands and basically have the power to make her will his command. Korra didn't feel that that would really be cheating, because all he had to do was _look _at her just right and she was ready to demand he take her to bed that very instant. It wasn't fair, the power he held over her. Everything about him oozed sex appeal, and she wished that she could make him crazy with desire as easily he did her.

As Korra rolled over to try and snag a couple more minutes of sleep, her phone started ringing. She looked at the caller ID and couldn't help but smile. "Morning, Pretty Boy," Korra greeted in a groggy voice.

"You sound like you're still in bed," Tahno replied accusingly.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," she answered as she snuggled further into her pillow.

"You know I'm on my way to your house now right? I'll be there in 20 minutes or so," he informed her with a mocking smile in his voice.

Korra sat up in bed as if jolted by electricity. "No! Damn it, why do you always insist on coming too soon?"

"I never come too soon," Tahno purred cheekily.

"Ugh, Tahno, you know what I mean," Korra whined, but smiled at his twist of her words nonetheless.

"Do you have something against me wanting to see you as much as possible?" he questioned.

"No, but I also like my sleep," Korra countered as she got out of bed, stretching and shivering.

"So if it was a choice between seeing me and sleeping, you would choose sleep? Is that what you're saying?"

"Well, in a perfect world, you would be there while I sleep, so there you go. Shit, where did my bathrobe go? And WHY is it so cold in my room?"

"Check your closet, and I don't know, but didn't you tell me that you have flannel pajamas you wear to bed?" he asked.

"I do sometimes, just not last night. But I wish I had because I would be a lot warmer right now if I was wearing them. Actually, I would be warmer if I was wearing anything at all, but that's beside the point. Oh, here's my robe."

Tahno dropped his phone and scrambled to pick it up again. "Run that by me one more time?" he asked earnestly.

"Look, you'll be here in like 15 minutes, I gotta get a shower, brush my teeth, and get ready, yada, yada, yada," Korra listed as she rushed into her bathroom and twisted the shower knobs.

"Think of me," Tahno hinted suggestively.

"Uh-huh, bye," Korra said briskly, hanging up the phone.

Tahno listened with a smirk as Korra said goodbye and disconnected the line. He dumped his phone in the seat next to him and thought of her 'perfect world', with him sleeping beside her at night, preferably naked. Yep, that sounded perfect to him. He groaned as he tried to stay on the road and keep his foot from mashing the gas pedal into the floor of the car.

He got to her house and knocked on the door to have it swing open to reveal Senna greeting him with a bright smile.

"Good morning, Tahno. Hurricane Korra will be coming through in a moment, so watch out," she teased warningly, letting him come in as Korra came running down the stairs in a skin tight pair of pants and long sleeve shirt that left very little to the imagination.

"Mom, have you seen my snow suit?" Korra called out, completely ignoring Tahno standing there.

"It's hanging up in the laundry room," her mother answered.

"What are you wearing?" Tahno asked as he looked her up and down.

Korra paused for a moment and looked at him like he had caught her doing something she shouldn't. "Under Armour," she answered quickly before running from the living room to the laundry room to grab her clothes out of the dryer and her snowsuit that was hanging up.

She got dressed in the laundry room and came back out and tossed her snowsuit on a chair and went back up stairs.

"Have you seen my gloves?" Korra then asked her mom.

"They're in your room somewhere," Senna replied.

"You want some help?" Tahno asked.

"If Mom will let you upstairs, I would love some," Korra answered as she reached to the top of the stairs and disappeared into her room.

Tahno looked at Senna in a silent request for permission.

"Just stay on task," Senna relented.

Tahno didn't waste any more time as he climbed the stairs and went right into Korra's room to find her digging in her closet.

"Sorry, I'm usually slightly more put together," she said as she sensed his presence behind her.

"Don't worry, we have time. Where have you looked?" Tahno asked as he took a seat on her bed and felt himself sink into it with a wave. "Water bed?" Tahno asked as he eyed it appreciatively and noticed how it looked like she just crawled out of it.

"Yup. That with a thick layer of memory foam and a pillow top on top of that, add down comforters and soft sheets, and it's the perfect recipe for my sleep," Korra stated as she held up her newly found gloves in victory and turned to eye him sitting on her bed as he pushed down on the super soft surface experimentally.

"Is that a fact?" Tahno said as he leaned back and stretched on her tangled blankets with his hands folded behind his head, his eyes closing in pleasure. "Mmm, you weren't kidding. No wonder you didn't want to get out of bed. I wouldn't either if this was where I slept."

"And that's not the best part..." Korra added as she set her gloves on her dresser and went to the foot of the bed, pulling up a fur blanket and draping it over him. "Compliments of the Alaskan wilderness, for those extra cold nights when goose down comforters just won't do, this white wolf fur blanket I received from my father's mother, which is exceptionally soft and warm and feels _amazing_ against bare skin," she commented sultrily.

Then she brought the blanket up to his neck and grinned evilly at the look of raw desire Tahno gave her before he pushed the blanket off and grabbed her, pulling her on top of him. She squeaked in surprise but didn't fight it otherwise and leaned down to kiss him as he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her into him as he kissed her deeper.

"I'm not hearing conversation, you two!" Senna hollered up the stairs, causing Korra to pull away.

"Maybe we're just talking quietly?!" Korra called back.

"And maybe you're just up there making out," Senna challenged.

"Damn, how does she know?" Korra muttered under her breath as she tore herself away from Tahno and smoothed out her clothes. "Maybe we're just looking really hard for my gloves," she suggested to her mother again.

"They can't be _**that **_lost," Senna argued. "The fact that you are even arguing with me proves my point. Now come back downstairs."

"Fine," Korra relented with a pout as she dragged herself to her dresser to get her gloves.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom before we leave," Tahno told her as he got up, kissing her on the cheek as he passed her.

As Korra made her way downstairs, Tahno stepped into her bathroom and took a picture of the label on No. 38-21 and made a plan to call the company that produced it on Monday. He noticed the bottle was getting low and he had a special plot underway that involved insuring she never ran out of it for as long as she lived. Then he went back downstairs to see Korra standing by the door, holding her snowsuit in one arm and using the other to lean on her snowboard.

"There you are. Will this fit on your ski rack or will it have to go in the back seat?" Korra questioned.

Tahno smirked in response. "Yes, I arranged the clips to fit your snowboard on my ski rack," he assured her.

"Aw, how thoughtful of you," Korra simpered playfully.

"It is, isn't it?" he teased back as he took her snowboard from her.

"We should be back before 11 tonight, Mom," Korra said as she turned to her mother and gave her a quick hug goodbye.

"Be safe you guys. Oh, and Tahno," Senna started before he turned to face her. "Make sure she comes home in the same condition she's leaving in."

"Mom, how many times have I gone snowboarding and come home bruised head to toe? That's not something he can insure," Korra argued.

"I think Tahno understands what I really mean," Senna said as she looked knowingly between the two of them.

"MOM! Oh my god!" Korra exclaimed as she hid her blushing face behind her hand

Tahno cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly around on his feet.

"Now that we understand each other, go and have a good time," Senna finished with a departing smile as she ushered them out the door.

Once they were in Tahno's car and driving away, Korra mumbled self-consciously, "I'm sorry, I didn't know she was going to say something like that."

Tahno just chuckled and put his hand on her knee comfortingly. "It's okay, it could have been a lot worse," he tried to soothe her, flipping his hand up and holding hers, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

They were quiet for a while before Korra decided now would be a good time for playing 20 questions.

"What's your favorite ice cream?" she asked.

Tahno gave her a questioning look out of the corner of his eye. "I don't really have one to be honest. What's yours?" he asked, willing to bet it would be something with either mocha or chocolate.

"Blue moon," she answered wistfully, getting a dreamy look in her eye.

"I have never even heard of that before," Tahno replied.

"I don't suppose you would. It's kind of a regional thing from where I lived before I moved here, and I haven't been able to find it anywhere since. I really miss it."

"So... what does it taste like?" Tahno asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Well, depending on where you live and what brand you buy, it can vary. The kind I was used to was a vanilla base with a fruit loop-y overall taste, but it also had a nutmeg and baking spice edge to it that was really nice. But no matter what brand, it's always cotton candy blue," Korra explained.

"Sounds like my new favorite," he responded with a grin, which caused Korra's smile to widen even further.

After some more conversation, things seemed to settle down and Tahno was surprised when Korra randomly began to rub his hand. But then her fingers started to work themselves expertly into his muscles and tendons, and the sensation was so amazing that he had to bite down on his lip to keep himself from moaning. Then she began to work her way up his arm, and it became an effort to keep his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. When she reached his bicep, she increased the pressure and holding back his sounds of pleasure became impossible.

"God, that feels incredible," Tahno said with a guttural groan.

This seemed to embolden Korra, and she leaned up in her seat to reach his shoulders and neck, and he continued uttering soft grunts and groans as she kneaded and massaged. Soon after she began doing this, her head leaned down to whisper silkily into his ear, "Are you sure I'm not distracting you? I don't want to cause you to crash into a tree or something."

He shivered as her warm breath caressed the shell of his ear, and he swore he could feel the soft curve of her breast pressing against his arm. Then she wedged one hand between the seat and his back as the other began stroking down his chest. His hands shook slightly as they gripped the steering wheel, but he would be damned if he was going to let her stop.

"I-I'm good," he muttered, his voice cracking slightly.

"Really? How good?" Korra purred as she leaned in closer and nuzzled his neck with the tip of her nose, sending more shivers down his body.

"Really fucking good," Tahno answered as he blew out a shaky breath and did his best to keep from swerving off the road.

When Korra placed her lips on his neck and kissed a pulse point, he felt his heart rate speed up under her touch, but she didn't stop there. She kissed and nipped up and down from the base of his neck to his ear and jawline. She noticed when she hit an especially good spot located just under and behind his ear, as his whole body seemed to tense and shudder when she found it.

"You're playing with fire," Tahno cautioned her in a tight voice as he considered pulling over right there on the highway.

"It's a funny thing about fire," Korra began in a seductive tone, ignoring his words of warning. "When it burns hot enough, it turns this really amazing shade of bright blue, which happens to be my favorite color."

"What's your point?" he asked, his throat now aching with all the words and sounds he'd been struggling to keep back.

"Playing with fire is _fun,"_ she answered, stressing the last word right before she licked the special spot below his ear.

Tahno's inhale was quick and sharp, followed by a string of moans as she grabbed his skin with her teeth and swirled her tongue over it. He fought to keep his concentration on the road, but her hand on his chest began lowering to his abdomen and she used her nails to dig into the rigid muscles there. Korra seemed to take notice of the way his breath was now coming out in low hisses and how his fingers had turned white from squeezing the life out of his steering wheel, so she reluctantly pulled away and settled back into her own seat, radiating with self-satisfaction as she took in his flushed features and labored breathing as he attempted to regain his composure.

"Isn't that your exit?" Korra pointed out, causing Tahno to suddenly snap to attention and quickly cross two lanes of traffic to make the exit in time. "Maybe I shouldn't do that again," she suggested as her common sense began returning.

"Hey, how about you don't worry about it and just let me drive," Tahno defended. "And come right back over here," he added with a smirk as he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her into him as far as her seatbelt would allow.

"Are we there yet?" she mumbled impatiently, letting her hand come up to only softly skate over the solid contours of the back of his neck.

"Not too much further," he replied absently, savoring the return of her touch.

"You ready to lose today?" she asked teasingly.

"I don't think I'm the one who's going to be losing today, Pretty Girl," Tahno disputed with a lazy smirk.

"Look, it's a simple fact, skiing sucks, snowboarding rules, and you will lose by default so you should just accept defeat now," Korra argued playfully.

"Sounds like someone is trying to back out of our deal to save face."

"I am not! I just want to make sure you realize what you're up against."

"We'll see about that," Tahno challenged with a promising smile.

Korra mirrored his smile but didn't feel the need to say anything else until they got there. When they did arrive, Korra texted Sasha but then frowned at the immediate reply.

"Oh, shit."

"What's wrong?" Tahno asked as he retrieved their gear from the roof of his car.

"Mako's here," Korra muttered with an exasperated sigh as she began texting Sasha back.

"Why the hell am I not surprised?" he grumbled in annoyance.

"Apparently, he invited himself along, but Sasha says he's keeping a polite distance from Asami."

"I hope he's wise enough to keep a 'polite distance' from you," he announced as he handed her board to her.

"Why? What did you hear?" Korra asked, suddenly worried he had found out about her recent dealings with the eldest Zhang brother, regardless of her efforts to not bring it up.

"I thought it was pretty clear what I think of him for being a jerk to you all these years? What's wrong? Did something else happen?" he inquired as they began making their way up to the ski lodge.

Korra exhaled anxiously before responding, "We need to talk sometime about Mako. Just not today, okay? I want today to be about having fun with you, and I can't do that if I'm worried you two might get in some stupid fight, so please don't try to start anything with him."

"You don't think I can take him?" Tahno asked as they stopped just outside the door to the lodge.

His face had taken on a firm mask of indifference, which Korra took to mean that she may have wounded his pride. "Look, when it comes to intelligence, wit, charm, and… sex appeal," she said after an awkward pause, making his eyebrows shoot up, "you got him beat. But if it really came to a fight, I'm seriously afraid he might put you in the hospital. He's done it to his opponents before."

He continued to eye her indignantly before replying, "I may not be an MMA fighter, but trust me, I can handle myself."

Korra stared at him, curiosity about his firm statement filling her mind. She wondered if he was being serious or just trying to put on a show of bravado for her, but she decided not to question him. He opened the door and stood back for her to enter in front of him.

"Why thank you, my good sir," Korra said flirtatiously as she walked through and winked at him over her shoulder.

"You're welcome, my lady," Tahno replied smoothly as he joined her and walked with her over to where Sasha and Bolin were getting cozy on the couch with their cups of hot chocolate.

Korra went to hang out with them as Tahno got in line to buy their lift passes, unknowingly stepping up behind Tiffany.

"It's about time you showed up. You're usually on the slopes by now," Tiffany drawled as she took in his appearance from over her shoulder.

"Hey, Tiff," Tahno greeted unenthusiastically.

"I see you've decided to make friends with the idiots your new girlfriend hangs around and play stranger with your old friends," she sneered.

"Wow, is the ice queen herself actually admitting to missing me?" he derided with a sarcastic look of astonishment.

"Whatever. Just waiting for you to bang her and dump her as usual. Let me know when you get bored of your flavor of the week," Tiffany scoffed as she got her lift ticket and flounced away.

Tahno couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, lately he hadn't been spending any time at all with the people he had always considered his friends at school, but it was still outweighed by the enormous amount of freedom and acceptance he felt with Korra and was beginning to feel with her family and friends. Being with her was bringing out the real him, instead of the act he always felt he had to perform around his old friends.

After he finished paying for his and Korra's tickets, he turned back to the group to see that Mako had showed up and was sitting next to Korra on one of the couches as Korra looked to be visibly ignoring him. An uneasy feeling grew in Tahno's stomach and a protective urge had him walking quickly and purposefully over to them.

Meanwhile, Tiffany stood with the group Tahno normally would have been skiing with and watched closely as he interacted with his girlfriend and some guy who was sitting next to her. Tiffany recognized him as the guy from Asami Sato's party who was openly coming on to Asami in the presence of her Marine boyfriend. She remembered the way Korra had reacted to his behavior that night when it suddenly clicked. He must be an old flame or a former boyfriend or some form of equivalent to Korra, and from the look of things, he looked like he was trying to get back on her good side. A triumphant grin spread over Tiffany's features as she eyed Mako Zhang and realized all the ingredients were there to cook up some overdue revenge.

"What are you staring at?" Stephanie asked as she took in the evil looking smile on her friend's face.

"Oh, just the key to bringing back the Tahno we all know and love," Tiffany answered with false sweetness.

"Please, do tell."

"Remember those two brothers Korra brought along with her to Asami's party?"

"Mako and Bolin," Stephanie answered, nodding.

"While Korra was talking Iroh's ear off, Mako was pouring his charms all over Asami."

"Your point?"

"Look at the way he is with Korra now that she's dating Tahno. Either he has a thing for taken girls, or there's something there that's more than friendship," Tiffany explained as she grinned wider.

Stephanie took a moment to watch the scene as Tahno exchanged stiff remarks with Mako.

"What's the play?" Stephanie inquired.

"Divide and conquer. You play interference, I'll plant the bug. By this time next week, Tahno will be back to normal, and Korra will be on the down and out while you and I will be back on top," Tiffany predicted.

"Sounds like a plan," Stephanie replied.

When Tahno walked up to Korra and Mako, he caught the tail end of Mako's attempt to get her to acknowledge him.

"When are you going to let this go? How many times do I have to lay myself at your feet for you to stop pretending like I don't exist?" Mako complained as Korra continued to stare off in the opposite direction.

"There you are, Tahno!" she exclaimed brightly as he came to stand next to her. "I was getting lonely over here all by myself. Bolin and Sasha said they'd meet us at the top."

"Sorry, baby. The line was crowded," Tahno apologized, finding it hard not to laugh at her purposeful insult at Mako's expense.

"I bet you're feeling pretty damn cocky, huh, Malek? Good luck winning her over again when she decides to get pissed at you. Although maybe it's not that difficult to win her affection if you're a famous music producer," Mako taunted as he raised himself to his feet as well.

Tahno felt his blood begin to boil. He'd had no idea that dealing with Mako was going to be this infuriating. He could feel a sharp come back rising in his throat that had a 50/50 chance of resulting in a fist fight breaking out right then and there. But then Korra laid a hand on his chest, and he look down into her eyes to see a silent reminder of what she wanted to do that day and, more specifically, what she _didn't_ want.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile before looking back at the snarling Mako. "Take it easy out there, man. Snow can be slippery," he said simply as he put his arm around Korra's waist and led her to the lift.

After getting situated on the ski lift, Korra scooted closer to Tahno and laced their gloved fingers together as they rose over the snowy hills. She rested her head on his shoulder and relished the feeling of true serenity that he gave her. Well, when he wasn't setting her soul on fire with lust, that is.

"You know, some people like to get frisky on the ski lift," Tahno remarked with a sly tone.

Korra lifted her head to give him her best patronizing expression. "You may want to follow my lead and try to enjoy this last peaceful moment before you spend the next hour trying to keep up with me while I leave you in the dust."

H pouted. "What happened to my unparalleled sex appeal?"

She shook her head bemusedly before laying it on his shoulder again. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

They finally made it to the top and picked out an area that wasn't already packed full of people.

"Ready to see who owns the mountain?" Korra asked as she settled into a stance on her snowboard and flipped her ski goggles down.

"Go for it," Tahno rejoined as he watched her set off and followed suit just a heartbeat later.

He tried to focus on getting himself down the hill, but Korra looked like she was flying down the hill with graceful and fierce skill not too far away from him. There were spots where she would get ahead and spots he would get ahead, but by the time they reached the bottom, it was a dead tie. Four more times they raced with Tahno slicing through the snow with tremendous speed and agility and Korra tearing her way down with powerful flips and twists all the way down, and each time they reached the bottom at exactly the same moment.

"Alright, I'm starving. Let's take a break," Korra offered as she fought to catch her breath at the bottom of the slope.

"Yeah, sounds good," Tahno agreed, just as winded.

They made their way to the lodge and relaxed while they ate a hearty lunch.

"Are you holding back?" Korra asked as she finished her food.

"What?"

"On the slopes, are you holding back and letting it be a tie?" Korra clarified.

"No. Are you?" Tahno questioned skeptically.

"No, I'm giving it everything I have. I guess we're just naturally evenly matched," Korra speculated casually.

"Interesting. I wonder what that's going to mean for our sex life," he wondered out loud while tapping a finger against his chin thoughtfully.

"Would you shut the hell up?! We're in a public place for crying out loud! And we don't even have a … a… you-know-what life yet," she whisper-shouted at him from across the table.

"It's probably good," he replied, seeming unfazed by her rant.

"What?"

"The fact that we're evenly matched. Our sex is going to be mind-blowing."

Korra stared at him with her jaw set, picturing exactly what he just said. Then she jolted back to reality as she felt the toe of his boot slide slowly up and down the back of her calf muscle.

"Gotcha thinking, didn't I?" he guessed with a predatory look in his eyes. "Welcome to my world."

Suddenly Korra hopped to her feet as she voiced, "Don't you think it's about time we got back out there?"

"Just say the word," he responded huskily.

"Word," she answered firmly, turning to head back outside as he chuckled smoothly and trailed behind her.

As Tahno left the room, he caught the image of Mako in the corner talking to a blond girl he thought he recognized, but he didn't give it anymore thought as he hurried to catch up with Korra.

"Mako Zhang, right?" Tiffany asked sweetly as she approached him once Stephanie had given her the signal that Tahno and Korra were leaving the lodge.

"Yeah?" Mako replied.

"Hi, I'm Tiffany Walters. Nice to meet you," she said as she offered her hand for him to shake. "Can we talk for a moment?" she requested as she gestured to a couple of nearby chairs.

Mako nodded and took a seat as he looked at her expectantly.

"I know you don't know me, but we both seem to have a mutual friend. Korra Nivos..." Tiffany strategically paused as she watched his reaction to her name. "It's hard, isn't it? Watching her be with someone else..." Tiffany ventured as she put on her most endearing and comforting expression.

She even went so far as to put a comforting hand on his arm. "Look, I can tell you care about Korra, so I'm going to let you in on some of the darker details of Tahno's personal life, and you can do whatever you want with what I tell you. I've known Tahno for a long time, but I've never let myself fall for him, because I've seen firsthand what happens to all of 'Tahno's girls', and it's not pretty. He doesn't care about anyone but himself, and I promise you he's just using her. I mean, he even calls her 'Pretty Girl', which is a pet name he uses for all of his conquests. Once he's done and bored, he'll dump her and leave her a ruined, devastated shell. I would hate to see that happen to Korra, as I imagine you would too. Just try to get her back before he destroys her," Tiffany ended with carefully portrayed sincerity.

Mako clenched his jaw and nodded. "You can count on it," he assured her with a tight lipped smile, settling his hand over hers. "I can't thank you enough for telling me the truth about him." He felt a darkness clouding his mind. He knew Korra was generally naïve, but how could she let herself be so easily fooled by someone as sleazy as Tahno? Now that he knew the facts, Mako realized it was his responsibility to protect her.

"I'm so happy Korra has someone like you. You're a true knight in shining armor, waiting to catch her when she falls. If only every girl was so lucky..." Tiffany lamented sadly. "Don't give up," she added with an encouraging smile as she pulled away from him and stood up. "See you on the slopes," she said in farewell as she walked away to rejoin Stephanie.

"Looks like you nailed it," Stephanie congratulated her.

"You got that right. He's as gullible as he is handsome," Tiffany crooned with a laugh as she and Stephanie sauntered back over to the lift.

* * *

_Author's notes- As always biggest thanks to Alaburn for being the best beta ever. _

_Yes, this is only part 1, 12 is a MASSIVE chapter and part 2 is even better, trust me._

_Anywho, thank you so much for reading, reviews only fuel us to write faster._


	14. Fun in the Show Part 2

We Love the Water

Chapter 12: Part 2

After a few more runs down the slopes, Korra and Tahno found themselves getting drafted into a snowball fight with Bolin and Sasha, as well as about a dozen other various winter sport enthusiasts. At one point when Korra was bent over, scooping up handfuls of snow to mold into more ammo, she suddenly felt the thud of a rather large snowball coming into contact with her ass. She jerked up and whirled around to see her usually dignified boyfriend holding his sides with uncontrollable laughter.

"Hey! We're supposed to be on the same team!"

His face still split into a huge grin, Tahno lifted both his hands in an exaggerated shrug. "What can I say? I can't resist such a desirable target when it presents itself."

"I guess I can't argue with that," she retorted right before flinging a carefully aimed clump of snow right at his smirking face.

He flinched and turned his head to the side just in time to receive the snowball on his temple, causing it to explode all over his hair.

"Oh baby, you're gonna pay for that," he warned, coming towards her with a deadly looking smile and an expression that looked hungry for vengeance.

With a twist of her mouth and a quirk of her eyebrows that clearly said, '_catch me if you can_', she spun on her heel and began evading him while lobbing as many snowballs as she could at him. Very quickly their game of cat and mouse became less playfully innocent as Tahno's hungry stares changed into a different kind of hunger all together, and Korra became as eager for him to catch her as he was. When he finally did, they stumbled and rolled onto the snow, their lips coming together almost instantly. When they sensed the presence of more snowball fighters coming nearer, Tahno stood up and grabbed Korra by the hand as he led her over to an overhang of snow containing a niche that seemed to have been perfectly carved for two people to stand in without being seen by anyone else.

"Did you make this?" Korra asked as she stared at in awe.

"Only the best for you," he replied as drew her into it. "But the safest spot is in here," he whispered with a wicked glint in his eye as he snaked his arms around her waist.

"What, this spot or just generally in your arms?" Korra questioned as her eyes became softer than Tahno had thought possible.

"Both," Tahno whispered before tenderly planting his mouth on hers.

What started as a gentle exchange of breath and skin soon became much hotter as Korra opened her mouth to him, taking off her gloves to hold his cold cheeks with her warm hands. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer until there wasn't even an inch of space between them. Then she moved her fingers up into his hair, gripping it firmly to give her better purchase for locking their lips together. He let her pull him down to further their proximity, but it wasn't enough. They both suddenly just needed more. The several layers of clothing each had to protect them from the cold were now just a nuisance, and Korra groaned her frustration as she arched against Tahno as well as she could.

In one movement, Tahno slid his hands down to cup her rear and lifted her as she jumped up and hooked her legs around his hips. They fell against the slanting wall of snow and Korra shifted her arms to wrap around his neck to steady herself as he pinned her beneath him. He broke off their kiss to begin kissing a trail down her jaw and throat, reaching up to tug the neck of her shirt down so he could maul her collar bone his lips and tongue. She felt herself melt into butter at his touch as her ankles locked themselves around him and she let out a strangled moan.

"You're not playing fair," Korra complained breathlessly.

Tahno pulled back to take in and mirror her lust darkened gaze. "Where's the fun in playing fair?" he argued back.

"I'll show you," she said quickly, this time attaching her lips to his neck as she found the ultra-sensitive spot and nipped at it none too gently before sucking on it as hard as she could.

It was his turn to become limp at her ministrations, and he pushed his hands into the snow bank on either side of her to keep from leaning too much of his weight on her. And still the drive for _more_ burned deep inside both of them, and Tahno started grinding his pelvis into the softness between her legs, subtly at first, but then faster and harder as the friction began driving both of them crazy, even with all the layers that separated them. His breathing was harsh and broken by moans, hers muffled by her mouth pressed against his neck, causing him to feel the delicious vibrations as they seemed to travel all the way to the base of his spine.

"Oh, _Korra_," he grated out hoarsely between pants, sure that all her sucking was going to leave one hell of a bruise.

He gently nudged her head over so that he could reattach their lips, thrusting his tongue in her mouth with the same rhythm that he was using to rock his hips into hers. Tahno wondered how hard it would be to strip down and just have sex right there, unaware that the same thought was dominating Korra's mind as well.

But before they could further explore what lurid possibilities were before them, they began hearing the sound of their friends calling their names.

"Damn," Korra muttered she rocked her head back and furrowed her brows. "We just can't catch a break, can we?" she asked as she loosened her legs from around his waist to stand up on her own.

Tahno just grumbled discontentedly, resting his forehead on hers as they both closed their eyes, their blood still pumping forcefully through their veins as their heartbeats galloped together. After catching his breath a little, he leaned down to feather her lips with one more kiss.

"Thank you," Tahno whispered, pulling back to look deep into her eyes.

"For what?" Korra asked, slightly confused.

"For... everything. For going out with me, for coming with me today, for being as great with Sura as you are, for being you, just... thank you... for everything," Tahno answered as he opened up and let her see him be vulnerable for once as he smoothed down her make out-roughened hair.

Korra smiled up at him as his hand lowered to cradle her face and brush his thumb against her cheekbone. "Thank you for not giving up on me," she responded as she touched the back of his hand with her fingertips.

Tahno was just tilting his head down to kiss her again when they heard Bolin yelling from not too far away, "KORRRRRR-AAA! Are you dead?! Don't make us call out the Saint Bernards!"

Tahno and Korra sighed as they pulled away from each other, their bodies still pulsing with unsatisfied desire._ 'I'm never going to let you go', _Tahno promised himself as Korra stepped away and freed herself from the makeshift fort. She turned to wait for him as he followed behind her, but then gasped and bit her lip with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement as she looked at him.

"What?" he questioned her obliviously.

"I, uh, left a mark," she explained, pointing to his neck. "Do you have a scarf or something you can wear? I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Tahno assured her with a smirk as he adjusted the collar on his jacket. "But I'll cover it if it bothers you."

Not long after, their group met up again inside the lodge as they relaxed on couches by the fire, talking and laughing about the day. Korra snuggled up next to Tahno, who had his arm across her shoulders as they whispered back and forth into each other's ears. They were so involved with each other that they didn't notice when Mako entered the room. He had been trying to keep a careful watch on them all day, but it hadn't been possible to watch them constantly without being noticed. He had seen, however, when the two of them had disappeared behind a snowdrift and did only God knows what for ten whole fucking minutes. It made him feel sick to think about it. He walked up behind the couch where they were practically sitting in each other's laps. The creep was playing with the ends of her hair, his disgusting fingers intertwined all in her ponytail as though staking a claim on his next conquest. As Mako got closer, his teeth already clenched in anger, he heard Tahno murmur into Korra's ear, "Is that all the thanks I'm going to get for making you moan my name in the snow, Pretty Girl?"

"Korra, I need to talk to you."

Both Korra and Tahno looked up in surprise as Mako came around in front of them. Then Korra rolled her eyes and looked away from him. "Not again, Mako. I've already talked as much as I want to you for now. Try again next week, or better yet, next year," she told him with an annoyed frown.

But Tahno noted the way Mako's hands were balled up into tight fists and how the veins at his temple ticked with suppressed ire. Tahno tensed as he realized there was something going on here that he wasn't aware of and that Mako was way too riled up to be turned away by a simple command.

"No, Korra," Mako continued. "This isn't about me, this is about you spending time with that flippy-haired jackass you call your boyfriend."

Korra snapped her head back around to stare at him in shock. "What?!" she exclaimed as she jumped up to her feet.

"As someone who's been your friend for much longer than you've even known that guy, I'm telling you to break up with him right now for your own good," Mako said authoritatively as he pointed at Tahno.

Korra's mouth gaped open as she sputtered with anger and astonishment, unable to even construct a proper sentence to retaliate with. Tahno stood up beside her and placed a steadying hand on the small of her back as he responded to Mako irritably, "If you've got a problem with me, then tell me. Don't order Korra around like you own her."

"Hell yeah, I've got a problem with you, and I'm not the one acting like I own her or who's obsessed with getting her in bed with me! I actually have her best interests at heart."

"Yeah, I bet that's exactly what you have. It couldn't possibly be the fact that you've finally come to your senses now that you can't have her."

Mako took a step closer as he stared daggers at Tahno. "What are trying to say, dickhead?"

Tahno shrugged a shoulder unconcernedly. "Just pointing out the questionable nature of your situation. I'm not stupid; I can see you've decided you that you like Korra all of a sudden. And I can't blame you for something I'm guilty of myself, but it just seems odd that you've chosen this moment in time to have a change in attitude now that she isn't available. First Asami and now Korra. You can't stand to see a happily taken girl, can you?"

"You don't know shit about me, Malek, and you definitely don't know Korra more than I do. You probably don't know anything beyond the fact that you like the way her body looks in a swimsuit."

"That's where you're wrong. I know that she spent _years_ waiting for you to get your act together and notice that she had feelings for you. I know that you completely blew it and now she's mine. I know that she's the most amazing human being on the entire planet, and even if she was yours, you wouldn't have a clue of what to do with her."

"And yet you do? You're nothing but a cheating, womanizing bastard. I don't even want to think about what _YOU_ want to do with her!"

"And I wouldn't advise it," Tahno drawled as he flashed his teeth in a wicked looking smile.

Mako's face started turning red with anger before their eyes as he yelled, "You don't deserve her, you motherfucking pervert!"

"You don't deserve to breathe the same air she does."

Mako was seething with fury while everyone around them seemed to have fallen silent to observe the tense interchange. He calmed down enough to demand in a shaking voice, "Outside, Malek. _Now_."

"Mako, stop being such an idiot!" Korra shouted.

"It's okay," Tahno said soothingly, giving her a soft smile before looking back at Mako and stepping forward slightly. "As tempting as your offer is, I'm going to have to say no."

Mako's face twisted with an amused chuckle. "Afraid you're going to chip a nail, pansy?"

A cruel smirk lighted on Tahno's features as he bit out coldly, "At least I'm not so insecure in my manhood that I have to try to steal another guy's girlfriend to reassure myself that I have balls."

"We'll see who's more of a man when I beat the shit out of you. Let's go!"

The look Tahno was giving Mako could have frozen an ocean. His eyes were condescending darts while his lips were quirked in cool, lazy indifference, as though he was thoroughly unimpressed by the by the angry, fizzing display before him. "Why don't you go pick a fight with a brick wall, for all the effect your temper tantrum is having on me, little boy."

Mako felt an unshakable rage building up inside him, and Tahno was refusing to give him a proper outlet. All he could do now was to see how much it took to push him into feeling as much fury as he was. "You're never going to treat her with the respect she deserves! You don't have the capacity to care about the needs of anyone besides you and your dick! I know all about the string of conquests you're so proud of, and how you leave every single one of them ruined and broken, AND how you call them all 'pretty girl' to make them feel special, but it's really just so you don't mix their names up! All you want to do is fuck her and leave her. I'm the one who's always been there for her, and I'm the one who's still going to be here once you've had enough of her!"

Up till now, Korra had been pretty much shocked into silence, watching back and forth as the two males doled out insults right and left, one like a raging fire, the other deadly ice. But at Mako's last accusation, she was finally jolted into action. She maneuvered around to the other side of Tahno, preparing to throw Mako's words right back in his face and set him straight once and for all. Although, she was very impressed with how well Tahno was holding his own so far, but she wasn't about to let them fight about her without putting her own two cents in.

She stepped forward, but before she could open her mouth, Tahno laid out his final blow. "Well shit, Mako, it looks like you got me pegged. I'm a self-centered, vengeful, cock-brained, liar who has no apparent goal in life but to make Korra miserable. Oh wait, sorry, that's you isn't it? And if I haven't already made myself clear, let me spell it out for you. The sun will rise in the west before I'm 'done' with Korra, and I'll gladly make it my life's mission to make it so that she won't even remember how to say your name, much less the misconception that you are or ever have been _there_ for her."

Tahno watched as something seemed to snap inside Mako, and it immediately registered in his mind that a physical assault was imminent. A spike of adrenaline kicked in, causing what happened next to appear in slow motion. He took in all the signals in a millisecond: the quick inhale, the widening of his stance, the tightening of his jaw. Then he watched Mako's eyes narrow and fill with rage as he reared his right hand back and made a fist, but Tahno was prepared. As the fist came flying towards his face, he ducked in one swift motion, evading the hit as it soared over his head. However, instead of the almost silent swooshing of air he expected, Tahno heard the characteristic thudding sound of a hard punch making impact against flesh. He turned just in time to see Mako's fist leave Korra's face as her head snapped back on her shoulders and she hit the floor.

Then time seemed to speed back up as Korra doubled over and cried out, holding her face as the blood poured out from between her fingers and spilled out over the floor and onto her clothes. Tahno's first reaction was to feel a cold lump of horror of take the place of his heart as it jumped into his throat. For one second his feet were frozen to the floor with shock, but as Mako stood over her, blocking her from Tahno's sight as he began spewing out a flood of apologies, it was as though the cord of his reasoning had suddenly been severed with an axe. A fire he had never felt in his life exploded inside him, fueling him as he grabbed a fistful of Mako's shirt by the neck and one of his arms as he whirled him around and away from Korra with the force of a tornado. Mako began pushing back instinctively, but fast as lightning, Tahno pulled back his dominate left fist and punched him so hard in the neck that Mako was thrown back into a table that collapsed as he landed on it, then crashed on the other side into a stack of skis and snowboards.

The sudden torrent of wrath dissipated almost as quickly as it had come as Tahno transferred his attention back to Korra and bent to pick her up bridal style before carrying her to the first aid station.

"I'm so sorry, Korra baby, I'm so sorry. If I had known you were that close I would have taken the hit instead," Tahno said in an agonized voice that didn't even sound like him.

He looked down to see tears mixing with the blood in a scarlet, runny mess all over her hands that were still covering the lower half of her face. His heart wrenched over and over again as he watched her cry, feeling considerably more pain than he would have felt if it _had_ been him on the receiving end of Mako's punch. He walked out the door as someone wordlessly held it open for him, barely paying attention to anyone else around him as he made his way to the small building with the large red cross on the door. Somehow, Mako had untangled himself from the mess he had landed in and was now trailing behind them as he continued issuing his apologies and excuses, albeit a good deal raspier than before.

"Korra, I didn't mean to I swear. I didn't know you were right there," he croaked as loud as he could as he began stepping in front of them.

"Get out of the way or I'll tear your fucking throat out and give it to Korra for Christmas," Tahno threatened him sharply as he adjusted his hold on Korra and tried to move around him.

"I'm not going anywhere, you-" Mako started to snarl before Korra spoke up.

"Go home, Mako," she said resolutely, the tremble in her voice betraying how hurt she really was.

He had punched her. Actually punched her, hurt her, and put her on the ground. She knew he hadn't meant to punch _HER,_ but he had. There was now an unspoken trust that had been broken and she wasn't sure it could be repaired or if she even wanted it to be repaired.

"Please, Mako, just go home," Korra begged as she screwed her eyes shut and pressed her cheek into Tahno's shoulder.

Now it was Mako's turn to look hurt and wounded. He never knew those little words could hurt him like that. How many punches and kicks had he sustained in his life? Yet those words from her felt like a hot knife being stuck into his chest. He finally stopped in his tracks as watched them get further away. He swallowed hard and massaged his throat, finding it hard to breathe for more than just one reason. He felt like he was being crushed by the weight of her words. It was then that he caught the scowls of everyone around him, even Bolin didn't hold back his utter disgust and shame from his features.

"Are you okay?" Tiffany asked timidly as she came up beside him. He didn't even answer her. "Do you need first aid too?" Tiffany questioned, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"No."

"I think the others are going to wait on them. I could take you home if you want to go now. I don't mind," she offered.

Mako turned to stare silently at her for a few seconds before nodding. "I rode here with Bolin, but I don't think the ride home with him is going to be..." Mako answered as he trailed off.

"Don't worry about it, just... come on, let's get out of here," Tiffany suggested as she touched his elbow and gently began tugging him towards the parking lot.

"But what about all the damage?" Mako asked.

"Tahno can clean up his own mess. It's his fault anyway, so come on, let's go. You can tell me how to get to your house in the car," she assured him as he followed her to her car.

In the first aid station, a nurse tended to Korra's nose and declared that it wasn't broken but that it had taken a really hard knock and would need careful attention to help it heal. After getting Korra cleaned up and dosed with some heavy painkillers, the nurse sent them on their way with orders to take it easy.

Bolin, Sasha, and Asami met them outside the door as they walked out, and they were holding all of their equipment for them, including Korra's board which had been broken in three places during the scuffle. Korra held it out in front of her to inspect it, and the sad sigh that escaped her lungs kicked Tahno in the heart and began a fresh wave of torment. He could barely stand to look at the dejection that painted her features.

"I'm really sorry, Korra," Sasha lamented as she put a hand on her shoulder. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It's not as bad as it was," Korra muttered miserably, not even trying to hide her discomfited mood.

"Well, we smoothed it over with the lodge manager," Asami assured Tahno. "They didn't call the police and they're not even going to ban you or Mako from coming back. They already charged your family's account for the damages."

"Great," Tahno bit out, trying to keep his voice level.

Their friends went with them over to Tahno's car, the girls walking alongside Korra as they talked in muted tones and Bolin walking behind them with Tahno as the two of them carried the skis and snowboards.

"I don't often speak against my brother, but he deserved what he got," Bolin admitted awkwardly.

Tahno couldn't think of anything to respond with, but he looked at the slightly younger guy appreciatively.

"He's not as bad as he seems, but he definitely has his jerk moments," Bolin reasoned with a shrug.

"Are you sure you're not even a little conflicted?" Tahno asked as they situated the ski gear on top of the car.

"Dude, we're cool," Bolin told him as he clapped Tahno on the shoulder. "Just keep doing what you're doing by taking care of Korra, and you and I will be alright."

"Thanks," Tahno voiced a little gruffly as he watched Asami and Sasha help Korra get in her seat as they hugged her goodbye.

They all said goodnight then and got into their respective cars as they began the drive home. Tahno stole a glance at Korra, who had her complimentary cold pack pressed to her nose as she leaned her head back against the seat with her eyes shut.

"I am so sorry, sweetheart," he whispered sadly.

"Would you stop it? You didn't do anything wrong," she responded quietly.

"I shouldn't have egged him on. He wouldn't have snapped."

"His issues aren't your fault, okay? I don't know why he's being such an asshole right now, but I guess he's still my friend. We might get over this someday, but at the moment I don't give a fuck," she replied tersely before asking, "What did you do to him anyway? I didn't see any marks on his face."

Tahno felt a pang of bitterness at her inference that she still might make up with the current bane of his existence but ignored it as he answered her question. "I punched him in the throat."

Korra picked her head up and looked at him before busting out laughing. "You punched him. _In the throat? __**Damn, **_that's hardcore. Did you mean to do that or were you aiming for his face and just miss?"

"I meant to hit him there," Tahno answered, eying her carefully as he wondered how good of a painkiller the nurse gave her. "I told you I can handle myself."

"Yeah, but still, where would you have picked up something like that?" Korra asked, pleasantly surprised that her boyfriend could literally kick ass.

"When I was in middle school, some older guys I hung out with from across town taught me some stuff. They were really into street fighting and were even involved in some underground fight clubs. It's real dirty fighting, you know? No rules."

"And you did this why?" she asked, her curiosity fully peaked.

"Believe it or not, I used to get bullied at White Falls. I tried to tell my old man about it, but he just said I needed to man up and handle my own problems or I was no son of his. I guess I should thank him for that, because I finally did."

"Aw, I'm so sorry you were bullied," she expressed mournfully. "Wait a minute, why were you friends with underground fighters, or whatever they're called?"

"Still friends. And I got to know them through the kind of music we were into."

"Of course you did," Korra responded a little sarcastically. "So what happened to the bully?"

"He went to the hospital with a concussion and three missing teeth. I got suspended for a week, but at least I got my father's approval for once," Tahno added darkly.

"Your dad's an ass. I don't like him," Korra announced decidedly with a sudden yawn. "Wow, these painkillers are really starting to kick in."

Tahno chucked a little, feeling comforted that she was finally getting some relief. "So… about Mako," he began as a scowl returned to Korra's face. "It seemed like there was something going on that I'm not clued in on, and earlier today you said we needed to talk about him sometime."

She sighed heavily and lowered the cold pack before replying, "Remember that week when we weren't talking to each other?"

His gut tightened at her reference to that point in time, and he wondered what she was about say.

"He came over to my house to talk to me, and we were really getting along, better than we had in a while actually. But then he let it slip that he lied about forgetting the night he got drunk and kissed me. We haven't really been on speaking terms since then, but yesterday he met me in the parking lot after school. He told me what he thought about you and that now he was suddenly interested in being with me. Anyway, I told him off, and I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want today to be… a disaster," she explained as she became increasingly sleepy and stifled several more yawns.

Tahno's grip was rigid on the steering wheel and his eyes stayed glued to the road as he listened. "And yet it still was," he said tightly.

Korra tilted her head to give him a slightly drugged grin. "I don't agree. That first part was _really_ nice."

He returned her grin with a quirk of his own lips despite himself. "Yeah, that wasn't too bad, was it?"

She made one more huge yawn as she nestled her head back into the headrest and mumbled something incoherently.

"I didn't quite catch that," he told her softly.

"I love you. You're the perfect mix of sweet and awesome and you didn't hesitate to stand up for me and take care of me. I love you," Korra said blearily as she her eyes slid closed and she promptly fell asleep.

Tahno sat in stunned silence as her words sunk in. Korra had just admitted to loving him while high on painkillers. Did that count? He didn't care, and the ecstatically happy smile that stretched across his face was evident of that fact. Slowly, he slid his hand over to hers and intertwined their fingers together as he brought her hand up to his face and kissed the back of it tenderly.

"I love you too, Korra," he whispered as he drove her to her house, holding her hand the whole way.

But once he pulled into her driveway, an uneasy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach."Korra, Korra baby, wake up. You're home, Pretty Girl," Tahno said as he gently shook her shoulder.

She groaned and sat up. "What?" she asked groggily.

"You're home," Tahno repeated gently.

"Oh, yeah… bed," Korra said with an almost drunken grin.

"Your parents are standing in the doorway. Come on, do you think you can walk or do you want me to carry you?" Tahno asked as he undid his seat belt.

"I can walk," Korra assured him as she got out and strode up to her door where her parents were waiting.

Tahno got her broken snowboard out of the back seat and carried it as he walked with her, keeping an eye on her making sure she was and Tonraq looked with dismay at Korra's bandaged nose.

"Did you lose a fight with a tree again?" Tonraq asked as he eyed his daughter carefully.

Korra barked out a laugh and shook her head."Nope, Mako took a swing at Tahno but hit me instead. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to hit me, but Tahno put him in his place so we're all good," she explained, slurring her speech a bit as she climbed the porch steps.

"What the fuck got into him?" Senna demanded lividly as she brought her daughter into the house and into the light so she could see her face better. "Oh honey, did he break it?" Senna asked as she carefully lifted the bandage.

"No, but he almost did. He caught me between the nose and the cheek, and the black eyes I'm getting are probably going to be legendary," Korra replied sarcastically as she chuckled again.

"Are you on medication?" Senna asked as she watched her daughter's eyes as they moved and tried to focus.

"Hell yes," Korra answered. "Good ones."

"So how did you put Mako in his place, Tahno?" Tonraq inquired.

Tahno grimaced and steeled his nerves."Well, after I dodged the punch Korra caught, I punched him back. But unfortunately, he ended up falling on Korra's snowboard and broke it. I'll get her another one, and I'm sorry, Tonraq, if I had known this could have happened I never would have answered Mako's taunts. I should have walked away," Tahno said in apology, observing as Senna continued to look over Korra's face carefully.

"So he was taunting you? About what?" Tonraq asked suspiciously.

"He doesn't approve of me dating Korra. He doesn't think I'm good enough, I guess," Tahno tried to answer.

"Are you?" Tonraq asked further.

"I'm trying to be," Tahno answered truthfully as he looked Tonraq in the eye so he could see his sincerity.

Tonraq smiled approvingly at him and gave him a nod. "I believe you. Well, it's late. Time to say goodnight."

"Goodnight, Korra," Tahno said from his spot by the door.

"Goodnight. I'll call you tomorrow or something. Drive safe," she replied drowsily, and still looking loopy as hell as her mother began applying a balm to the darkening shadows under her eyes.

Tahno smiled sadly at her, not really wanting to leave her but knowing she was perfectly safe now in her parents' care. Then he nodded farewell to Tonraq as he turned around and left to go home. As he walked to his car, he rubbed his hands down his face tiredly while trying to sort out all the conflicting thoughts and emotions running circles around in his brain. He still felt the horrendous guilt for Korra's condition, his hatred of Mako, worry that her parents would never entrust her safety to him again, and a longing ache to hug her one more time. Then as he started driving, he smiled and exhaled in peaceful content. She said she loved him.

Korra crawled into bed and smiled as she detected a faint trace of Tahno's scent still on the blankets. Then a soft whisper of a memory floated across her consciousness. _'I love you too, Korra'_. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped when she realized it had been real. She began to replay the memory and panicked slightly as she remembered telling him she loved him first. She chewed her lip worriedly as she considered what to do. Perhaps she could chalk it up to not being in her right mind and therefore not credible.

But then her heart twisted uncomfortably in her chest at the thought of telling him that, and it was then that it hit her; she loved him and he loved her back. It was really just that simple for once. Her whole body relaxed as her eyes closed, and a smile graced her lips as she fell into a deep, comfortable sleep.

* * *

_Author's notes- Biggest thanks to Alaburn for being the best beta ever as always, special thanks to ShOrtSh4dow for being our fanart girl on DA and Tumblr. Of course if anyone else wants to draw fanart, you are more then welcome to. _

_So, anyone else nearly have a heart attack during the fight scene? I know I did. _

_I hope it was worth the wait, thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and push us to write faster. ;)_


	15. Blue Moon

We Love the Water

Chapter 13

Tahno drove up to Korra's house the next afternoon, anxiety rolling around in his mind as he wondered what her condition would be like. He came up to the door and knocked as Korra opened it for him, giving him that amazing smile of hers, as if it wasn't his fault that she had just gotten punched in the face the day before. He took a close look at her features and felt a small amount of relief that it did look like it was healing, with only faint shadows now circling underneath her eyes. Then he looked at the rest of her, noting the thin, white, cotton t-shirt with the large, red Avengers logo, and the wonderful, leg-baring quality of her tiny shorts.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up. Come on in; it's freezing," she welcomed him.

He did as she said, especially considering her clothing… or lack-thereof. "How are you feeling?" he inquired sincerely.

"I'm fine," she replied casually as she closed the door.

"Really? Or do you just not want anyone to fuss over you?"

"Really. And I haven't been doing anything to risk hurting it more, just like the nurse said. I've just been watching TV." Then she indicated the brown paper bag he was holding. "What's that?"

"A surprise," he answered with a smile as he held it out to her.

She took it from him and pulled out the carton of ice cream. "Blue Moon?! Oh my god! My favorite, thank you," she said excitedly, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. "Go sit in the living room. I'll be there in a minute."

True to her word, she came back bearing two bowls of the blue-colored ice cream and handed him one of them as she joined him on the couch and pulled down a soft, woven blanket with a colorful, Native American pattern to cover them.

"Are your parents not home?" Tahno asked.

"No, they're visiting one of my aunts who happens to have a bunch of rowdy kids with a penchant for throwing various objects across the room, so I got to stay home to protect my nose," she replied happily before digging back into the fruity ice cream. "I can't believe you found Blue Moon. I haven't been able to find it anywhere."

"I'm not surprised. I had to go two cities over to get it."

She looked up at him in shock. "You went all that way? Tahno, that's too much. You shouldn't have."

He set his bowl on the coffee table before looking at her affectionately. "It wasn't too much. It's the least I could do, anyway."

"What do you mean?" she questioned in bewilderment as she put her bowl down too.

"You shouldn't have gotten hurt. I should have realized I was pushing him too far, or I should have made sure you were out of the way. _Something_," he muttered as his eyes clouded with regret.

"Don't blame yourself because Mako has the self-control of a Tasmanian devil. There's no way you could have anticipated what happened," Korra told him vehemently.

"If you say so," he said unbelievingly, dropping his eyes away from her intense stare.

"I do," she affirmed resolutely. Then she shivered. "Ice cream in the winter does have its drawbacks."

"Here," he offered, giving her his share of the blanket and tucking it around her.

Korra smiled in gratitude and snuggled against him as they watched the movie playing on TV together, which happened to be Captain America. Except Tahno found himself getting distracted several times by the shifting of her long, worship-worthy legs. He was also sure that he detected a faint trace of the fragrance she had to know drove him crazy, and he found himself unable to care less about the movie and thought more about the fantasies that scent on her invoked in his mind. But for once he knew he wouldn't try anything, still mindful of her fresh injury.

Suddenly, Korra's nose wrinkled up and she covered her face as she sneezed.

Tahno jumped in alarm. "Are you okay?"

"I only sneezed! Don't have a cow," she responded as she quirked an eyebrow at him. "What's the big deal?'

"I just think you should be more careful with your nose," he tried to cover nonchalantly.

She stared at him like she thought he was insane. "I don't have any control over whether I need to sneeze or not."

"I know. I just want you to be careful."

"Tahno, I swear, _I'm fine_!" she complained indignantly.

"Are you sure?"

She suddenly tilted her head to the side as the look she was giving him took on a mischievous air, and a wicked-looking smirk began turning up a corner of her mouth. The muscles of his abdomen clenched with a powerful jolt of want as she began leaning provocatively towards him, her eyes sparkling with a predatory glimmer.

"Let me show you exactly how '_fine'_ I am," she murmured in a sultry voice as she crawled over his body and straddled his lap.

The large, patterned blanket was still draped over her shoulders, and she pulled it forward so that it encased the two of them in an intimate cocoon. Then her hands came up to wind themselves into his hair, and she leaned his head back and brought her lips down on his with an aggressive sense of ownership. The lust was churning inside him like a wild storm and urged him to mirror her energetic movements, but he forced himself to be tender with her, despite her insistence that she wasn't as fragile as he thought she was. His eyes closed shut and he kissed her back with passionate softness. His hands moved up to rest on her hips underneath the blanket and he nearly lost it when he realized how high her shorts had ridden up. He couldn't stop himself from letting his hand slide up under the hem of her shirt, until his palms were fully touching the bare skin of her lower back. Almost on their own, his fingers inched down until the tips were tucked beneath the waistband of her shorts.

"_Tahno_," Korra breathed out suddenly as her hips gave a subtle rock against his firm grip.

He grunted in heavenly misery and squeezed her tighter to stop her from moving over him in such a dangerous fashion. His arms and legs were beginning to shake slightly with the terrific effort it was taking to hold himself back, but he couldn't find the will to bring what was happening to a halt.

Korra sighed in equal frustration, but for a different reason. She tore her lips away from his, only to start kissing a trail down his jaw and neck, accompanied by gentle nips with her teeth. It was a battle to see if she could get him to forget about treating her gently and start pawing at her with as much gusto as she was him, and she was determined to win. Her lips found the same spot under his ear that she had discovered on the drive yesterday morning that had made him come apart, and she let the tip of her tongue slide over it before beginning to suck at the sensitive flesh there. She felt his deep moan vibrate against her mouth and she lowered her hands to snake down the hardened expanse of his chest and abs, raking her fingernails over the outside of his black shirt.

Tahno was beginning to pant heavily and the quivering of his limbs migrated to the muscles in his chest, but still he held himself in check. With her lips still on his neck, Korra began undoing the buttons on his shirt, starting with the top and diligently working her way down until his entire torso was bared for her touch. Tahno plowed the back of his head against the couch, biting back groan after groan as her amazing hands glided over the ridges of his stomach and created delicious friction over his abs and chest before sliding around to dig her skilled fingers into the pleasure-inducing pressure points on his back, all while working her mouth on the skin beneath his ear and jaw. He wrapped his arms fully around her, pulling her completely up against him and burying his face against the crook of her neck, as if that would quash the scorching ache mounting higher and higher throughout his entire being. He was an idiot.

The firm contact of their bodies made Korra let out a high-pitched moan as she removed her lips from his neck and slid her front down his until she settled against the hardened ridge inside his jeans. Before Tahno knew what was happening, she tightened her thighs around his and nudged herself against him while simultaneously swiping her tongue across his bottom lip. And that was when she won.

Tahno's heels dug into the floor as his hips bucked upwards, his hands shooting up the back of her shirt to hold her steady, causing the material to rise up and bare her toned stomach. Her head lolled as her breathing became harsher, and he bucked against her again, moaning her name none too quietly before she glued her lips to his again and their tongues twisted and moved against each other.

"You taste like Blue Moon," Tahno mumbled almost incoherently between kisses.

"I wonder why?" she responded sarcastically, trying to catch her breath.

"When are your parents coming back?"

"They always call when they're on their way," was her impatient reply before resuming their ardent activities.

The heat was building to a sweltering degree and Tahno felt a bead of sweat drip down his spine. Korra seemed to be in accordance, and without breaking the kiss, she rolled her shoulders until the blanket dropped away and pooled around her hips. As she did so, Tahno maneuvered his hands from her back until they met the smooth skin of her abdomen. Very slowly, he edged his fingers upwards until they were skating over her ribcage. She arched against him and contracted the muscles of her torso, as if urging him to continue. Finally, his hands felt the satin material of her bra and the soft, generous swells underneath.

Korra hadn't realized how incredible it would feel to have him touch her there. Her mind melted into nothing but a puddle of blistering desire, and all she knew was that she wanted more. She lifted her face away to part the tangle of lips and tongues, but rolled into his hands to let him know that she didn't want him to release his hold on her. Her own hands gripped her shirt where it was bunched up around her chest and pulled it over her head to toss it on the floor as he continued to massage her breasts and hardened peaks. Then she swiveled her head back down to meet the fiery depths of his gaze as his eyes bored into hers. They watched the pleasured expressions on each other's faces as he pushed up under the bra and brushed the pads of his fingers across the smooth underside of her breasts and thumbed her tightened nipples. She gasped in sharp awareness of the amazing sensation and felt an answering tingle travel all the way down to her pulsing center. She shoved the fabric of his shirt aside and clutched his bare shoulders with her fingernails digging into the solid muscle there, biting her lip with suppressed sounds of excitement.

"Too much for you there, Pretty Girl?" Tahno inquired smugly, looking extremely pleased with himself.

"Shut up or I'll make you," Korra snapped roughly with a slight tremble in her voice.

"_Make me_," he ordered her huskily, the challenge burning bright in his eyes.

Without wasting another second, Korra planted her tongue inside his mouth and grinded into his lap. Their muffled moans filled the room as Tahno thrust his tongue between her lips and they both fought for dominance in the kiss. He pulled his hands out from underneath her bra and slid them around to where it closed at her back. Korra took the opportunity to get closer and pressed flush up against him, delighting in the feel of their bare skin. Tahno was beginning to work at the tiny fastenings when an unwanted buzzing noise interrupted the lust-filled fog swarming in their minds and had them both turning to look over at Korra's phone where it lay on the coffee table.

"It's my parents," she said, still breathing heavily as she read the Caller ID. "I can't talk to them like this."

"How far away are they?" Tahno asked, disappointment clear in his tone as she rolled off of him.

"About half an hour, but it doesn't matter; you have to go _now_. My dad likes you, but that won't stop him from killing you."

Tahno stood and began buttoning his shirt as Korra straightened the couch cushions and let the phone ring until it went to voicemail.

"Are you going to call them back?" he asked concernedly.

"No, I'll just tell them I was in the shower, and I will be."

He tsked in mock contempt. "Such dishonesty."

Korra crossed her arms irritably, bringing his attention back to her chest. "Under the circumstances it's the best thing for me to do."

"Well, since you're 'in the shower' right now, I guess you won't be needing this," he said, picking up her discarded t-shirt and slinging it over his shoulder possessively.

Korra's eyes widened in disbelief. "You want my Avengers shirt?"

"Why not? It'll be the sexiest thing in my whole house," he responded smoothly as he sauntered over to her with a grin. Then he cupped her chin to kiss one more time before leaning back to look at her with half-lidded eyes. "See you tomorrow," he whispered.

"Yeah," she answered softly as she looked back at him, feeling a strange twinge in her heart as they said goodbye to each other.

Tahno began making his way to the door, and Korra wondered if she should tell him that she loved him again; after all, last night he had said it back to her. But what if he had just been startled and felt pressured to reciprocate? He definitely cared a lot about her, but was it fair of her to assume that his feelings were as strong as hers? She had just been injured and he'd felt guilty, he might have just said it as a form of contrition. Korra knew now that she didn't regret it and wanted to say it again, but she was also trying to learn how to not be so brash. She was still debating what to do when Tahno closed the door behind him.

Tahno went down the porch steps, scowling at the ground. Did Korra remember that they had said 'I love you' to each other last night? She hadn't said it again, and he hadn't had the guts to remind her about it. When he kissed her goodbye he had felt the words in his heart, but he hadn't let them out. He was scared and he didn't know why. 'I love you' was not something he was accustomed to saying or hearing. He couldn't remember if his father had ever said it, his mother said it on formal occasions when it was appropriate, and Sura didn't understand what it meant and may never understand. Well, maybe he couldn't tell Korra he loved her on his own yet, but he could try to show her.

Tahno woke up at 4am on Monday morning and groaned until he remembered why he had set his alarm that early to begin with. He sat up in bed, turned his light on, and walked over to his desk. Then he took out his phone and brought up the picture of the label on No. 38-21, making sure he was contacting the correct company before dialing the number and praying that whoever answered spoke English.

A female voice answered, "Allo, oui?"

"Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?" Tahno asked hopefully.

"Yes sir, my name is Sally. How may I help you?" the receptionist answered. She had a definite American accent, perhaps even southern.

"Yes, my name is Tahno Malek, and I'm interested in buying the copyrights to one of your discontinued perfumes."

"Oh?" Sally asked in a skeptical tone. "And which one might that be?"

"The number on the label is 38-21," he answered.

"And what is your company's name?"

"I'm not in the fragrance business. I'm just a private individual who's interested in owning the rights to that particular perfume, and I want to be able to name it and order it whenever I want. I don't plan on mass producing or distributing it."

"I see. But how did you learn about 38-21? It never made it into our stores, and we rarely ever have any in supply."

"It's my girlfriend's favorite, and she gets it from her aunt who works for your company, but she's almost out and she's not sure when she'll be able to get more."

Sally paused before responding. "What's the girlfriend's name?"

"Korra Nivos."

He heard a gasp followed by an exuberant squeal at the other end of the line. "You're Korra's Tahno? Oh my god!" The woman's voice suddenly dropped all pretenses of professionalism, causing her southern twang to deepen significantly. "I'm the crazy aunt from Paris she told you about! And you're going to buy the rights to her favorite perfume?! Why are you doing all that?"

"I just want her to be able to have it when she wants it, and I don't want anyone else to smell like her."

"Well if that isn't the most romantic thing I've ever heard of! You're in luck, honey. It just so happens that the copyright for No. 38-21 is for sale. According to my records it's listed at 2,500 euros, and, assuming you actually have the means to buy it, that doesn't include the cost of actually manufacturing it and shipping once you own it, and given the high quality of this particular fragrance, it's not going to be cheap. It has pure extracts of jasmine, gardenia, hyacinth, and white rose. All the most beautiful floral scents."

"I know. It's the best thing I've ever smelled. And don't worry, I have the means."

"Wonderful! If that's the case, I also suggest you select your own special bottle to have it packaged in. Do you have something specific in mind, or should I pick one out for you?"

"It has to be in blue. That's her favorite color."

"Well… blue's not the traditional color for floral perfumes, but honey, I'm gonna let you have whatever you want. Now, to be honest, all our blue bottles are uglier than homemade soap. What you need to do is call Morano in Venice and have customized bottles made just any way you want. No one does it better than them."

Sally decided to make it her personal mission to help Tahno get everything together. She set up him up on the phone with her reliable contact from Morano, and after he looked at some pictures they emailed him, he selected a glass bottle called, 'Ocean Blue Swirls'. Sally made sure he got a good deal and then helped him set up the necessary appointments to arrange all the financial and legal steps to finally owning No. 38-21.

"Do you think I could go ahead and get some bottled and shipped to my address sometime in the next two weeks?" Tahno asked before hanging up with Sally.

"Not if we wait until all the paperwork is in order, but I can send you what little we have in storage, and I'll even get it all set up in one of your pretty new bottles."

"Are you sure it's not going to be too much of an inconvenience?"

"Well, darlin', I'm usually busier than a two dollar hooker on nickel night, but I would go to the ends of the earth for that child. Oh, I wish I could be there to watch her face when she sees it. She is going to freak!"

"Would you do me a favor and not tell her anything about this? It's going to be surprise."

"Oh, sweet baby Jesus, I'm going to cry. Are you planning to propose when you give it to her?"

"One step at a time, Sally. I don't think we're quite ready for that yet," he said smoothly.

"Alright, well I'll do you that favor if you do me one. Just love her for the rest of your life, treat her like the princess she is, and never let her go. You do that and you and I will get along just fine."

"Don't worry. I really care about Korra, and I don't plan on letting her go."

The sugariness in Sally's voice faded and was replaced by a tone that was all snappy business. "Now be straight with me, young man. Do you really love my Korra, or is this just a rich person's fancy way of getting laid? Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining."

Tahno nearly choked before answering. "I don't know how to be clearer in my intentions than I'm already being."

"I'm telling you how. Yes or no. Do you love her?"

"I-I guess I do."

"Guess? Either you do or you don't. There's no in-between."

Tahno could feel the sweat starting to build on his brow. He knew he loved her, but why was it so hard to admit it out loud? It had been so much easier to say it when it had just been him and a semiconscious Korra alone in his car.

"I'm not liking what I'm not hearing," he heard Korra's aunt say warningly.

"I do," he said finally. "I love Korra."

Sally must have heard the tender sincerity in his voice, because the change in her attitude was immediate. "That's all I needed to hear," she replied warmly.

School that day went by with a few surprises in store. Apparently, word had gotten around about the incident at the ski lodge, and every version of the story became more twisted than the last. Korra's black eyes were rumored to have come from Tahno for cheating on him. Both Korra and Tahno found themselves having to explain what really happened over and over again to their friends, some concerned teachers, and even the guidance counselor. By the end of the day, Tahno was fed up with the countless conversations, but it was nothing compared to the frustration that was waiting for him at home.

As soon as he walked in the door after school, his father was waiting for him in the living room. "So I'm ready to hear why I have a four-figure bill from the ski lodge you were at Saturday," Cohen ordered coldly as he stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed.

"I'm going to pay for it myself. Don't worry," Tahno answered shortly, trying everything he could to hold his already fraying temper in check.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"This guy hit Korra, so I hit him back. Broke a few things. End of story," Tahno replied blandly, wanting to get it over with so he could see Sura before dealing with the mountain of things he had to do.

"No, that's not the end of the story. Not according to your little friend Tiffany."

"Tiffany talked to you?" Tahno asked disbelievingly.

Cohen nodded smugly. "She saw the whole thing and she called to give me her firsthand account, so I know that you attacked some kid over a girl and made a complete spectacle of not only yourself but of me too."

"Great. You want to believe her word over mine? Go ahead. But I don't recall _you_ having anything to do with the 'spectacle' I made."

"As my son, everything you do is a reflection of me, and I've been telling you that your whole life. Maybe to finally get my message across, I'm going to have to get rid of all that garbage you keep in the basement."

"I bought all that equipment with loans and the money I made from songwriting. It's not yours to throw away."

"Everything in this house belongs to me, including you. That means you do as I say."

"Well then maybe I won't be here much longer!" Tahno snapped suddenly, unable to conceal his rage any longer.

"What's keeping you now?!" Cohen shouted back.

Sura suddenly appeared in the room, running past her father as though he was invisible to grab Tahno's hand and yank down on it insistently.

"What is it, Sura?" Tahno asked as he looked down at her.

She didn't meet his gaze or answer his question, but grunted as pulled on his hand again and made a small scowl, clearly wanting something from him.

Their father sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Where's her nanny?"

"She has the day off today," Norah answered as she bustled into the room, looking flustered. "Sorry, dear. I had her in the kitchen with me, but I turned my back for a second and she was gone. Come on, angel. Let's leave Daddy and Tahno alone," she said sweetly as she tried to steer the little girl away.

But Sura was having none of it. She tried hiding behind Tahno, but that just led to her mother chasing her around him in circles, twittering in vain for her to behave. When Sura started slapping at Norah's hands, Cohen suddenly decided he'd had enough.

"To hell with that woman's day off. Call her right now and tell her if she wants to keep her job then to get over here and do it!" he barked thunderously.

"I can't," his wife complained in exasperation. "She goes out of town to visit her mother on her days off."

Tahno bent down to pick Sura up, who had resumed pulling on his hand. "Does this answer your question?" he asked his father as he pressed a comforting hand to the five year-old's back.

"Just take care of it," Cohen gritted out as he gestured to his daughter before storming out of the room.

"I'll see what she wants," Tahno said stiffly to his mother as she sagged with relief.

"Okay, thank you, Tahno. I think I'll take a nap."

Tahno waited as his and Sura's mother left, then turned his head to look at her wryly. "You sure know how to clear a room, don't you?"

Sura looked back at him somberly, and for the first time since he got home that day, he saw the sadness that was deep down in her wide, light blue eyes.

"So what's so important? Do you want to go play in your room?"

She didn't answer, but began swiveling her head from side to side as she appeared to look at nothing in particular and started tugging at his shirt collar this time. Tahno sighed as it became apparent that she wasn't going to talk today, then he began trudging up to her room with her still in his arms so that they could play the guessing game until he finally figured out what she wanted.

Friday arrived with the date of the school's next dive competition, and Korra couldn't wait for the chance to compete. By now the school had been completely over run by rumors of what happened at the ski lodge and Korra was sick of all of it. Thankfully, her black eyes had gone away completely by Tuesday, thanks to Nana's special balm, but still, for some reason people thought it was Tahno who had hit her, and she did her best to squash those rumors. She knew Tahno would never lay a hand on her, and part of her knew that Mako wouldn't have either if he knew Tahno was going to duck. Tahno had been overly nice and thoughtful ever since, and she could see that he still felt guilty regardless of her attempts to reassure him.

The stiff competition on Friday was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of everything. She walked out into the pool area and saw her parents, Tahno, Asami, Sasha, Bolin, and Mako all sitting in the bleachers. She looked at Tahno worriedly as she looked between him and Mako, who was looking quite dejected on the other side of the group. Tahno gave her a reassuring smile and a nod, silently telling her that it was okay.

All the diving of the night went smoothly. Korra won first place again after pulling the same dive she did last time, only with an extra twist, getting the highest score of the night. As she left the pool, she exchanged glances with Mako, who was pleading with his eyes for forgiveness, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy toward him. She wondered what kind of hell he had put himself in, because he was the kind of person who would beat himself up over something like this. After she got changed and came back out she could see Tahno with the rest of the group, waiting to congratulate her as Mako stood by awkwardly a small distance away.

"I need to talk to him," Korra told Tahno as she nodded in Mako's direction. "Alone."

"Okay. I'll be waiting over here," Tahno replied as he watched her walk away.

"Hey," Korra said as she approached Mako warily.

"Hi. Congrats on the win. That dive was amazing," Mako muttered a little sheepishly.

"Thanks," Korra replied, feeling extremely awkward.

"I'm really, really sorry. You know I would never hurt you," Mako said softly.

"Yeah, I know. But you still did. What got into you? I know you don't like him, but still, what you did was uncalled for. I mean, you even brought up his pet name for me, which he gave me when I was five and hasn't used on anyone but me since. Where did that come from?" Korra asked, confusion clear in her tone.

Mako just blinked at her a couple of times. "Tiffany said Tahno uses it on all the girls he tries to sleep with," Mako answered before Korra's face took on a look of shock, followed by anger.

"Tiffany?" Korra asked, feeling her outrage starting to roar to life as Mako nodded. "I'm gonna kill her. Tiffany has started to become Tahno's stalker. She practically has a shrine built to him in her closet, and she's a pathological liar. She probably saw us earlier in the day and thought you would be the answer to her prayers."

"Why?"

"She hates me because I'm dating Tahno and she isn't. Tahno is honestly a great guy, okay? And I would think that you and I have been friends long enough for you to trust me over some bimbo you just met," Korra worded strongly as she crossed her arms.

Her statement seemed to sink in as his eyes burned thoughtfully into hers. "I know. Truthfully, I don't know what came over me. I've always thought you were a great friend, but you had always just been one of the guys to me, until I saw you with someone else."

"Tahno's not just 'someone'. I've never felt this way about anyone else, and if you and I are going to be friends and hang out together again, you two have to work this out peacefully so I won't have to worry about you getting in another fight with each other. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," he grumbled. "I'll try, okay?"

"Thank you," Korra replied softly before reaching out and touching his arm so that he would look her in the eye.

Then they parted ways and she walked slowly over to where Tahno and also her parents were waiting for her. After saying goodbye, Tahno watched as she got into her dad's truck and drove home with her family. He went to his own house and ended up tossing and turning in his bed as restful sleep evaded him. It had been a hell of a week in more ways than one, and it didn't help that finals were rapidly approaching. On top of that, he hadn't been able to spend nearly as much time as he would have liked with Korra.

Korra woke up from a fitful sleep to the sound of her phone vibrating. She saw that it was Tahno calling and that it was one in the morning. "Hey," she answered groggily.

"I'm really sorry. Did I wake you up?" she heard his voice saying, and she could literally feel her heart speed up. There should be a law against having a voice like that.

Korra smiled before answering, "Not really. My brain is having a hard time settling down."

"Mine too," he admitted.

"Why don't you come over tomorrow for breakfast? My mom can make some mean pancakes," she suggested.

"How early can I come over?" he asked without the slightest hesitation.

The next morning Korra let her exhausted-looking boyfriend into her house. She knew she had to look pretty rough herself in her flannel pajamas, but Tahno looked into her sleep-deprived eyes and kissed her like she was the best thing he had ever seen.

"I made some coffee," she said as they pulled away and walked into the empty kitchen.

"Where are your parents?" he inquired.

"They sleep in on Saturday, and it's not even 6:30 yet," she replied.

"Well you said I could come over as early as I wanted," he reminded her.

"I know," she answered with a smile. "I'm glad you're here."

Korra went to the counter and began getting mugs down from the cabinet when she felt him walk up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist as he nuzzled his face down into her unbound hair. "I needed this," he murmured softly after letting out a tired sigh.

She turned around in his hold to face him. "What's wrong? You haven't been yourself this week," she asked in concern.

"Things aren't so good with my dad," he responded dispassionately.

"I thought things had never been so good with your dad?"

"Well, it's really bad right now."

Korra's heart ached for him as she took in his saddened features. She had no idea what it must feel like to be in his shoes, but it had to hurt like hell. She stood up on her toes and gently pressed her lips to his. Tahno held her tighter as he returned her kiss, but it remained tender and slow; no rushing. Then he tilted his head back as he tried to stifle a yawn.

Korra snorted with laughter. "Am I getting that bad?"

Tahno chuckled. "Never. I just finally feel like I can really sleep."

"You want to go get on the couch?" she asked.

He tilted an eyebrow at her. "So eager to pick up where we left off, huh?"

"There it is," she replied with a happy grin.

Senna walked into her living room a couple hours later to see her daughter snuggled on her boyfriend's chest as he sat sprawled out on the couch, the Nunatagmiut blanket draped over them. They were fast asleep with the tranquil look of absolute peace on both of their faces.

* * *

_Author's notes- Thank you Alaburn for creating most of this chapter and betaing and just generally being awesome. Thank you ShOrtSh4dow for being our fanart girl, you rock. _

_Things are getting pretty steamy, this chapter is one of the reasons this story has the rating it does. _

_Anyone else really starting to hate Tiffany? _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and push us to write faster. _


	16. THE TENSION

We Love the Water

Chapter 14

Part 1

The date of Tahno's first big ski competition arrived three weeks after the incident at the ski lodge. It was arranged to span three days and was going to be held at a ski resort four hours away. Korra really wanted to go and support him, but she knew that getting permission from her parents would be tricky since it was going to be an overnight trip with her boyfriend. It turned out, however, that Bolin and Sasha were also planning to make the trip as it was a good excuse for them to get away together, and Bolin also wanted to teach Sasha how to snowboard. The resort had a lot of small cabins available for rent, so the group reserved two of them, one for the guys and one for the girls, although the plan was not for it to remain that way.

On Saturday, Sasha drove to Korra's house to pick her up and practically bounded up to the front door before knocking quickly. Senna opened the door and invited her in.

"Good morning, Senna! How are you?" Sasha asked politely.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Korra should be down any minute. Where are the boys?" Senna inquired as she peered over Sasha's shoulder inquisitively.

"Oh, the boys are already there. They went up together last night. They get along really well, surprisingly. Well, they get along well enough to share a room anyway. Oh, speaking of which, I thought you might like to see the cabin I got for Korra and me," Sasha said excitedly as she got out her phone and showed Senna the online reservations she made as well as pictures of the cabin. "And they even have a bacon and make your own waffle breakfast which was a big selling point for all of us."

"Sounds great," Senna said as she gave her nod of approval.

Korra finally came down the stairs, dragging her suitcase behind her. "Hey! You're here, awesome. I'm ready when you are," Korra announced as she pulled her suitcase toward the door.

"Sweet, let's hit the road!" Sasha replied as she took Korra's bag from her. "Bye, Senna. See you in a couple of days."

"Bye, Mom. Love you," Korra said as she hugged her mom goodbye and grabbed her coat and new snowboard that Tahno had gotten for her.

"Love you too, sweetheart. Have fun and be safe," she called after her daughter.

Once in the car and on the road, the girls couldn't help but squeal their excitement.

"I can't believe we're doing this, it's going to be so fun," Sasha crooned as they started their journey. "By the way, your 'materials' are in that paper bag at your feet," Sasha told her as she pointed to it and turned on the radio.

"Thank you. I think my mom would flip if she saw me buy them myself," Korra said gratefully as she pulled the bag into her lap and took out a few of the contents, copies of Cosmopolitan magazine.

"I still can't believe Tahno hasn't sexed you up right yet," Sasha blurted.

"It's not like we haven't really had the opportunity or anything, but every time we get close it's like there's a line he won't cross and he slows down and won't go any further. It's driving me nuts and makes me feel like I'm not sending the right signals or something," Korra muttered as she furrowed her brows and looked the first magazine over.

"Maybe he doesn't think you're ready or it's too soon?" Sasha ventured.

"Maybe, but if he still thinks that this weekend, then he has another thing coming," Korra answered stubbornly.

"That's right, girl. You get some!" Sasha encouraged her, laughing.

Korra got a wicked glint in her eye as she responded smugly, "I'm gonna rock his world so hard he'll think hitting the slopes will be a nice break."

"Well damn, Korra, sounds like you have this all figured out..." Sasha added as they got on the highway. "I take it you have a killer lingerie outfit to entice him with?"

"I just have that black lace set you and Asami got me. I haven't gotten a chance to get anything else, been too busy," Korra replied with a shrug.

Sasha turned her head and fixed her with a look before pressing a button on her phone.

"Who are you calling?" Korra asked.

"Bo. To tell him to expect us later then he thought," Sasha said before Bolin picked up his phone.

"Hey, babe. Korra forgot to pack something and we're too far away to go back, so we have to make a quick stop, okay? It shouldn't take too long," Sasha explained discretely.

"Well, hurry up, I miss my Sashy-poo," Korra heard Bolin's voice coo from the phone as she nearly gagged.

While Sasha and Bolin continued to baby talk to each other, Korra pulled out her own phone and texted Tahno.

Korra- Thank you for never baby talking to me

Tahno- Likewise. Scary isn't it? You should see the faces Bolin is making, I'm about to hurl

Korra- lol, yeah well Sasha is DRIVING and I'm starting to fear for my life LOL

Tahno- what did you forget anyway?

Korra- a surprise for you ;)

Tahno- really? Care to give me a clue?

Korra- nope, more fun for when you unwrap it.

Tahno- oh baby, it's not nice to tease.

Korra- who said I was teasing? Anyway, it shouldn't take too long, I'll be there before you know it. How is the competition going so far?

Tahno- Good, placed first the first two races, the last one placed second though. But the big one isn't until Monday night so I'm not worried about it, it's only Saturday anyway, got all weekend.

Korra- yup, plus we got the rest of winter break, so much time, I wonder what we will do with it all?

Tahno- oh I'm sure I can think of something ;)

Korra- I'm sure you can, anyway, I got to go, see you soon.

Tahno- K ;)

Sasha hung up and sighed dreamily. "God, I love him. Anyway, according to my phone, there is a mall 10.8 miles away with a Victoria's Secret and a Frederick's so we're bound to find _something_," Sasha commented as she exited the highway.

Two hours later, the girls were on the highway again and headed for the resort.

"Yeah, that didn't take long at all," Korra said sarcastically as she eyed her new acquisitions fondly.

"Hey, that stuff takes time to try on to make sure it's perfect. Besides, I didn't hear you complain when we were getting those water jet massage thingies."

"Those were pretty phenomenal, plus we got lunch, so I guess it wasn't too bad," Korra agreed.

"We're only about another hour… hour and half away, so get reading again so you can 'rock Tahno's world'," Sasha instructed with a wink.

Korra rolled her eyes but did as she was told and devoured every issue Sasha had brought with her. Soon after, they arrived at the resort and Sasha drove straight to the cabin that Tahno has rented for the weekend. Sasha helped Korra unload her bag and snowboard before giving her a quick hug.

"Good luck," she said with a wink before driving off to her own cabin where Bolin was waiting for her.

Korra took a deep breath before opening the door, imagining what all might be waiting for her on the other side. She half expected Tahno to be standing just inside the door, ready to sweep her off her feet as soon as she opened it. There might even be flowers and candles, and they'll both be so overcome with passion and… Tahno opened the door, smiling in welcome as he took her bag and carried it inside for her. Korra followed as she looked around the room and saw that the only light was the natural light coming in from the windows and the fireplace. No candles, no flowers, not even a box of fucking chocolate. What...the...hell?

After setting her suitcase down, Tahno walked up to where she was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes going soft as he looked at her. '_Here it comes_', she thought to herself, the anticipation building.

"So the bed's all yours. I'm going to take the couch," he informed her as he gestured at the said pieces of furniture.

"W-what?" Korra stuttered, completely taken aback.

Tahno cupped the back of her head as he stroked her hair comfortingly. "Just because we're spending the night together doesn't mean anything has to happen. I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into something you're not ready for, okay? I'm just happy you're here."

Korra tried to keep the confusion and disappointment from showing on her face, but she didn't trust herself, so she turned to go look out the window at the view as she tried to decide what her next move was. The landscape was breathtaking with the mountains and snow as the sun was beginning to set, but all she wanted to do was bang her head against the glass and curse herself for jumping the gun. Again. How could she have made _this_ big of a misjudgment?

"Did you have a nice drive up?" Tahno asked from behind her.

"Yeah," Korra answered, sighing as she came away from the window. "It was shorter than I thought it would be," she said as she took off her coat and hung it up before coming back over to him to wrap her arms around his neck. "Did you miss me?" Korra asked playfully as she began forming the idea of helping him get caught up to where she was. Maybe she could try seducing him.

"More then you know, Pretty Girl," Tahno whispered before leaning down to kiss her softly, keeping a firm hold on her hips.

Korra hummed happily into the kiss, but before it could even begin to get heated, Tahno pulled away, leaving Korra to frown and wonder if she did something wrong already. Tahno walked over to the dresser to retrieve a small to medium sized blue box that had a beautiful silver and blue silk ribbon tied around it into a perfect bow with a tiny card underneath.

"I got you a present," he said as he walked back over, handing it to her with a strange look on his face, as though he was about to share an exciting secret.

She smiled but looked at him apprehensively as she took the box. "To my _only_ Pretty Girl," she read out loud, her smile widening as she wasted no time in unwrapping it. Curiously, she took out the item inside eye it carefully. "You got me perfume?"

"Not just any perfume. Smell it," he urged.

She pulled the stopper out and sniffed it as her eyes went wide. "It's No. 38-21! How the hell did you get it?" Korra demanded, completely stunned as she replaced the stopper and looked the elaborate bottle over again with new found reverence.

"It's not No. 38-21 anymore. It actually has a name now, it's called 'Pretty Girl'. Turns out your aunt in Paris is a very nice lady," Tahno replied as he relished the look of awe in her eyes.

"Wait, you called PARIS? Paris, France, and talked to my Aunt Sally to get me my favorite perfume in this insanely incredible bottle?"

"Yes, and it's OUR favorite, actually," Tahno confirmed as he watched her clutch the blue bottle to her chest, tears welling in the corner of her eyes.

He felt a brief moment of panic until Korra threw her arms around him and gave him the tightest hug she had ever given him before.

"Thank you, Tahno. This is the most wonderful, thoughtful, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me," Korra told him sincerely, her words muffled against his shoulder.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry it took me this long to do it," Tahno murmured back as he smiled into her hair.

"No, it's perfect timing," she assured him as she pulled away to kiss him fervently, knowing without a doubt now that she was going to try everything in her power to seduce him by the end of the night.

Tahno eventually had to pull back for air, but the look of pure adoration and love glowing from her eyes took away any breath he had left. She was so different from everything he had ever known. Korra was passion, warmth, and honesty. She never held anything back and her heart was completely open. Suddenly, a flash of not quite a memory or a dream, but rather a premonition passed over his mind's eye as he saw himself looking into those same bright blue eyes for years to come. He could picture the gentle wrinkling around her eyes as her hair streaked with gray, and she would still be the most beautiful woman in the world to him as she looked up at him with the same love that she was showing now. '_I love you_', went through his mind, the words on the tip of his tongue, his heart practically screaming them, but yet he still held back, his confusing and irrational fear gripping him.

"You're so beautiful," Tahno managed to breathe as he kissed her again, this time sweet but searing as he promised himself that _one day_ he would see her that way with more than just his mind, but with his own two real eyes.

But Korra didn't seem to care about his attempt to keep it gentle as she pressed her body up against his and swept her tongue across his bottom lip. Tahno could feel another one of their erotic make out sessions beginning, only this time they were completely isolated with hours of potential uninterrupted alone time before them. He wanted to curse his promise that they didn't have to have sex, for he couldn't imagine anything he wanted more at that very moment, or since he had first laid eyes on her in the halls of their school for that fact. As he felt himself being nudged in the direction of the bed, his mind nearly went blank with lust, but just before they came in contact with the mattress, Korra's phone began ringing and they both groaned as she pulled away to check it.

"Shit," Korra whispered harshly before answering it. "Hi Dad," she chirped innocently. "Yep, just got here, safe and sound... Oh I'm sure Tahno will make sure I stay safe," she said as she looked at Tahno and winked. "Yup, okay Dad. I gotta go; the great outdoors are calling my name. Love you too, bye."

Tahno let out a heavy huff of air and shoved his hands into his pockets as he watched her end the call, clenching his fists and forcing himself not to grab her and pick up where they had left off. The seductive intimacy of the small cabin was almost too much to bear, with the woodsy scent of the logs and the soft, flickering glow of the fire bathing over them as the light faded outside.

"Are you hungry? Maybe we can meet Bolin and Sasha for dinner?" Korra suggested as she checked the time on her phone.

"Yeah, sounds good," Tahno responded a little hoarsely as Korra began calling Sasha.

He opted to go and sit on the couch situated by the fireplace while he waited for her finish talking on the phone, trying to settle down and think of anything besides what it would feel like to finally satisfy his desire to have her completely. When she ended her conversation, Korra leaned against the back of the couch.

"They said they need a half hour to get ready, so I'm going to get ready myself, okay?"

"Sure," Tahno answered as he gritted his teeth at the warmth of her proximity.

Korra kissed the ridge of his cheekbone right next to his ear before going over to the closet to get her bag as she headed to the bathroom. Tahno turned the TV on to pass the time, but he forgot it almost instantly when he noticed that the mirror on the wall next to him reflected the bathroom door, which Korra had left partially open, and was now affording teasing glimpses of what she was doing just inside it. His eyes were transfixed to the glass as he saw her strip down to nothing but her black lace bra and underwear. Then she plugged in her curling iron and hummed some sort of song to herself as she began using it on a few sections of her hair. Tahno then made the conscious decision to look away and save himself some sanity, when all of a sudden she began swaying her hips to the tune she was humming as well as subtly rolling her belly in the sexiest exhibition he had ever seen. He swallowed tightly as he realized it would take nothing short of an earthquake to make him tear his eyes away from her.

After finishing her hair, Korra put on a pair of skinny jeans and a new, fitted sweater she hoped might draw Tahno's attention. She couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated with what little reaction she was getting from him so far. She had even left the bathroom door slightly open in case he happened to walk by, but that turned out to be no good. She decided that she would put on a little bit of makeup for a change, but hesitated before applying the eyeliner as she grinned mischievously at her reflection.

"Tahno, could you come in here for a moment?" she called out sweetly.

"Yeah?" Tahno responded as he came in mere seconds later.

"Would you help me with this?" Korra asked as she held the little pencil out to him.

"Sure," he replied in a surprisingly gruff voice, his eyes dark as he edged up to her slowly.

Korra closed her eyes and felt her body temperature rise as he got closer and set his palm against her cheek, holding her face as he carefully and steadily lined her eyes. She wondered if his heart was beating as fast as hers and whether or not he noticed what her low cut shirt and push up bra did to her 'assets'. Of course, if her eyes had been open she would have seen how his eyes kept darting down to steal surreptitious glances down her shirt.

Tahno had to keep reminding himself not to do anything that would hint to them going further than they had before, but it was getting harder with every passing minute. It was almost as if she was trying to batter his self-control, belly dancing in her lingerie, pressing her half naked chest against him. She was turning out to be temptation incarnate and he couldn't help but imagining pushing her up against every solid surface that he saw and fucking her senseless.

"And open," Tahno managed to say in a voice much smoother then he felt.

She obeyed and looked toward the ceiling as he finished up and replaced the cap on the eyeliner before tossing it into her bag.

"How do I look?" Korra asked as she bat her eyes a few times for emphasis.

"Gorgeous as always," Tahno answered truthfully as she seemed to light up at his simple praise, causing his heart to pound painfully while his entire body ached with need.

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself there, Pretty Boy," Korra appraised as she gave him an obvious once over with a nod of approval. "Now for the most important part," she said as she left the bathroom and picked up her perfume from the dresser where she had left it.

As she put it on, the whole cabin became filled with the amazing aroma, and Tahno immediately wanted to bury his face into her neck so he could deeply inhale the fragrance while he kissed and licked every inch of skin he could reach. He was about to declare that they should forget about dinner when there was a knock at the door, and Tahno didn't know if he should be grateful or not for the distraction.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything," Sasha worded slyly as Korra opened the door.

"Nope," Korra replied, popping the 'p' for emphasis and giving Sasha an exasperated look.

The two girls exchanged meaningful glances, and Tahno looked between them suspiciously as he wondered what it was they seemed to be communicating telepathically.

The drive over was pleasant enough, as Bolin was his usual bubbly, cheerful self and kept the conversation light and easy. Once at the restaurant, Sasha and Korra went to the restroom where Korra could finally vent her frustration.

"I don't get it! I thought he would be as eager as I was to finally go all the way, but he doesn't even seem _interested_! As soon as I walked in the door he told me he was going to sleep on the couch, completely destroying the idea I had that there was this unspoken agreement between us that we were going to have sex this weekend."

Sasha rested a reassuring hand on Korra's shoulder. "Hun, he's a guy. I guarantee you he's interested. Clueless maybe, but definitely interested. He's probably just concerned about not making it awkward or something."

But Korra wasn't convinced. "I've been doing everything but throwing myself at him! And it's so weird because normally all I have to do is say something that sounds even remotely suggestive and he's all over me or undressing me with his eyes, AND we usually can't spend more than five minutes together without him making some sort of sexual innuendo, but now… nothing. In fact, I feel like I'm being pushed away."

Sasha looked at her sympathetically. "Have you tried actually talking to him about this? I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation."

"No," Korra admitted. "But don't actions speak louder than words? If he wanted me I would think that I wouldn't have to second guess myself."

Sasha's eyes suddenly sparked with an idea. "Hey, doesn't your cabin have a hot tub?"

"Yeah, and I even brought a skimpy, string bikini. Like it'll do me any good," Korra answered irritably.

"Well there you go. When you get back, put it on and parade around in it so he gets a good look at you, then get him in the water with you and give him one of those Chinese back rubs you're always talking about. If THAT doesn't do the trick, I will ask him myself if he actually has a dick."

Korra blew out a breath as she thought it over.

"Trust me," Sasha promised her. "Everything's going to be fine. Just remember, _Gatorade_. Dehydration is the death of romance."

"Thanks, Sasha. You have no idea how lucky you are. I bet you two have already done it, huh?" Korra teased.

"Twice since I got here actually," Sasha boasted.

"What?! That is ridiculous! And totally unfair," Korra whined.

"Hey, he has stamina for _**miles,**_ and he may act like a boy most of the time, but lord knows he's _**all man**_ in the bedroom," Sasha commented further.

"You can just stop right there. I really don't want to know anything beyond that until I can fire back fairly," Korra said adamantly.

"Okay, fine. I can understand and respect that. If you want me to, I can drop a few hints to Mr. Clueless to get his act together and make a woman out of you," Sasha offered as she raised an eyebrow.

"No, don't do that," Korra fervently refused. "He'll probably pick up on it and think I'm pathetic for being so openly desperate."

"No way, I'll be totally discreet. Now, let's get back out there before they start looking for us," Sasha replied as she looked over her appearance and made a few last minute adjustments.

On the way back to their table, they passed a group of guys who wolf whistled at them and actually started cat calling as Korra and Sasha traded annoyed looks and kept on walking.

"Come on, sugar, don't be like that. I don't bite too hard," one of the idiots called after them.

Korra stopped walking and looked at Sasha again. "Hang on just a second," she said shortly as she turned and took a couple of steps toward the group with her hands on her hips. The restaurant wasn't very full and this happened to be a rather secluded area of the room, so there wasn't really anyone else around to witness whatever was about to happen next.

"Yeah, girl, bring that sweet ass back over here. How about you and your friend come stay with me for the night?" the tall blonde one proposed, obviously the leader of the pack.

"As utterly grotesque as that sounds, I'm going to say… _no_. I can't think of anything I'd rather do less, so why don't you be good little boys and go play somewhere else?"

"I'd rather play with the toy I'm looking at right now, and it sounds to me like she doesn't get played with enough," the blond guy said as he leered at her and licked his lips.

Korra rolled her eyes as she snapped back sarcastically, "Yeah that must be it. I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Hunter. What's yours, baby doll?" Hunter asked as he stared right at her tits.

"Korra. So what brings you here, Hunter? Family vacation?"

"Skiing competition. Of course I could always use a snow bunny like yourself," he purred, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I bet you could, but I already have a boyfriend and so does she. Protective, possessive boyfriends who keep us more than happy, and I also believe I already said no, so I suggest you shut your ugly mouth and keep your distance before you find yourself in a position you really don't want to be in," Korra warned.

But Hunter got up from his seat anyway and began closing the distance between them as Sasha got her cell phone out and started texting furiously.

"Oh really?" Hunter jeered as he got closer to Korra. "I wouldn't mind seeing how many '_positions'_ you could put me in."

Korra stood her ground as he approached, and just as he put out his hand to reach for her, Korra grabbed his wrist, twisted it, kneed him in the gut, and used his momentum to bring him to his knees as she hit his kidneys and twisted his arm painfully and unnaturally behind his back. All faster than he could blink.

"How does this position suit you?" Korra spat angrily as Hunter tried really hard not to cry in front of his friends.

"Korra, what's going on?" Tahno demanded as he appeared and looked at the display before him with shock.

"Oh hi, sweetie. Hunter here was just learning that I don't bluff or threaten. I promise and make good on my promises," she answered in an overly sweet voice before returning her attention to Hunter. "My dad and one of my best friends are both Marines, my ex is an MMA fighter, and you can bet your ass that I can kick it into next week. Remember me and my friend's faces, and next time you see us, _**stay the fuck away**_. Do I make myself clear?" she growled before tightening her hold on him as she put more painful stress on his shoulder from twisting his arm.

"Yes," he gritted out, trying not to moan in pain.

"Good boy," she cooed as if she were talking to a toddler, releasing her hold on him as she stepped back. "Run along now, and think of me before you try to play with someone who doesn't want to be played with again," Korra commanded as she went to stand next to Tahno.

"Bitch," Hunter growled as he stood up to his full height.

"What was that?" Korra barked, whirling around to face him again as her eyes narrowed dangerously at him, making him flinch instinctively. "You really want to push me again, wise-ass? Because I promise you, you'll only be fit to eat your meals through a straw by the time I'm done with you!" Korra stressed as she jabbed her finger in his direction.

Hunter looked from Korra to Tahno and back again before a vulgar smirk played on his lips. "I see you got a feisty one this time, Malek. Next time you should keep her on a tighter leash."

"Oh, that was a tight leash." Tahno moved a little closer, his voice falling. "And if you touch her or bother us again, I'll personally see to it that you pay very dearly for it... that is, if Korra doesn't break every bone in your body first." He straightened out, the corner of his lips twitching up into a cruel smile. "But more immediately, you can bet I'll wipe the snow with your smug face in the first run tomorrow."

The muscles in Hunter's face spasmed with anger, but there was still a hint of fear in his eyes. "We'll see about that," he spoke with a determined tone. "Let's go," Hunter said to his group as they backed away and left.

"Are you okay? Did he get the chance to do anything?" Tahno asked Korra as he eyed her with concern.

She returned his look and grinned. "Nah, he just was being a douche. I take it you two have met before?"

"Unfortunately yes, he's been my stiffest competition for years, and he has to be the most annoying asshole I've ever met."

"Really? Well, he won't be a problem anymore. I hit a spot that will make him feel like his limbs weigh a ton for the next 24 hours," Korra informed him as she tugged him back in the direction of their table. "You're not the only one who knows how to fight dirty," she whispered with a wink.

Tahno felt a sense of pride that Korra could handle herself so well and kissed her on her temple. "You're amazing," he praised her as he squeezed her into his side.

As they all finally got situated at their table, Bolin spoke up, "Well that wasn't weird."

"Bo…" Sasha muttered, shaking her head.

"No, I'm serious," he continued. "If I had quarter for every time I've seen Korra threaten to beat someone up… I'd be like a quarter millionaire!"

"That's nice, babe," Sasha said placidly. "So, Tahno, I've heard that the stress before a big competition can really have a negative effect on your performance."

Tahno gave her a reassuring smile as he sat leaned back in the booth with his arms crossed. "I'm not too worried. It's nothing I haven't faced before."

"But still," she pressed with dramatized concern. "I would hate to think that any mishaps you might have could've been avoided with some simple de-stressing techniques. Have you got any of those?"

"_Sasha_," Korra began, her voice laced with warning. "I'm sure Tahno knows _all_ the de-stressing techniques, and if he needs them, he'll use them."

"I bet massage would be useful for relaxing," Sasha went on as though she hadn't heard Korra. "Korra gives great massages, but I bet you already knew that," she said, winking at Tahno.

Tahno turned his head to grin knowingly at Korra, and she chuckled uneasily as a waitress came to take their orders. Their food was brought to them about fifteen minutes later, and Korra felt confident that Sasha had finished with her 'hinting' until she once again opened her mouth to address Tahno.

"I think exercise is also a good way to get rid of stress. Too bad there aren't any gyms around here, but maybe there are other ways you could find to exert yourself…" Sasha trailed off as she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Tahno put down his fork and looked at her as he quirked an eyebrow. "Um, I'm really not that stressed."

"Korra, are you okay?" Bolin asked. "Your eyes look like they're about to pop out of your head," he noted as Korra stared daggers at Sasha.

"Yeah, Korra, we wouldn't want anything to get '_popped'_, would we?" Sasha remarked.

"This baked potato sure is amazing," Korra blurted out suddenly as she stuffed her mouth with it. "Owzz er giz foo?"

"Eh, my meat's a little dry, but it's still pretty great," Bolin answered cheerfully.

"Really? Because I think this chicken breast is nice and tender," Sasha commented. "Korra, how's your breast? Or should I ask Tahno?"

Korra started choking on her food as Tahno patted her back. Then she took a sip of water from the glass that he handed her before glancing apologetically at Bolin who was seated across from her. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Oh, don't worry about it," he waved her off as he flicked a piece of chewed up potato off of his nose.

"And _YOU_," Korra then said briskly as she swiveled her gaze to Sasha. "Need to _stop_."

"Stop what?" Bolin asked, squinting his green eyes between them suspiciously.

"Stop… eating around the mushrooms. She could really use the iron."

"Are you guys alright?" Bolin inquired.

"They're fine," Tahno answered with a little smirk on his face.

Korra felt her cheeks flame; he had, of course, caught on to Sasha's 'hints'.

"Actually, I think I'm ready for dessert," Sasha declared as she looked at Bolin suggestively. "Back at the cabin."

Bolin cleared his throat suddenly. "Uh, yeah. You guys ready to back? We'll drop you off."

After paying their bills and loading back into the truck, they headed back to the cabins, Bolin now driving much faster than he had before. Korra bit down on her lip in anticipation and dug her fingernails into palms, feeling a strange urge to strangle Sasha, while also being unable to meet Tahno's eyes which she could feel on her skin like a physical touch. At that moment, she had so much restless energy pent up inside her, she felt that if she didn't let it out soon she was going to go insane.

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_Author's notes. Thank you Alaburn for giving Sasha her amazing sass you wonderful writing diva you. Thank you to ShOrtSh4dow for actually providing Tahno's comeback to Hunter, see? She's more than an artist, she is a co-conspirator, hahaha! We have turned her over to the dark side. lol. _

_Anyway, thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and drive us to churn out this story faster. _


	17. The Tension Breaks

_Author's warning- This part is the reason this story has an M rating. Be warned a lot of sex is about to follow_

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We Love the Water

Chapter 14

Part 2

Bolin and Sasha dropped Korra and Tahno off at their cabin and Sasha gave Korra one last wink of encouragement before they sped away, tires spinning in the snow and gravel.

"Well that was nice," Tahno commented lightly as they came into the cabin.

"Yeah, I guess they're fun to double date with, although Sasha can be a little… much sometimes," Korra noted as she took off her coat.

Tahno didn't reply but held back an amused chuckle as he shrugged out of his own coat and hung both his and Korra's up in the closet.

"I think I better unpack now," Korra noted suddenly as she slid into the bathroom, taking her bikini out of her bag and setting it out while she took the rest of her things over to the dresser and quickly put them away before going back into the bathroom to change.

She must have spent a good ten minutes just making sure her 'assets' were best being shown off by the tiny pieces of material that really did leave nothing to the imagination. She could clearly see the outline of her hardened nipples, and whether it was from being excited or slightly chilled was up for debate at this point. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, deeming herself sexy as hell and trying to squash any lingering fears and insecurities. Then she took a deep, cleansing breath before steeling her nerve and grabbing a towel as she opened the door to find Tahno sitting in a chair and doing something on his cell phone.

"I think I'm going to take a dip in the hot tub. Care to join me?" Korra asked as she watched Tahno snap his head up and stare at her as though his eyes might fall out of his head.

She couldn't help but smile wickedly as his scorching gaze roamed up and down her body, pausing at her breasts and legs for several moments before swallowing. Hard. She also observed that his phone was about to be crushed because he was holding onto it so tight.

"So? Are you coming or not?" Korra purred as she sauntered toward the back sliding glass doors, casting him a come hither look over her shoulder.

She could tell he never took his eyes off of her as she turned on the patio light and opened the door, stepping outside to take the lid off the hot tub before sinking down into the water and submersing herself. When she turned around to look at him again it was to see him furiously digging through a drawer and pulling out his swim trunks before practically running to the bathroom. She allowed herself a giggle before he came out and got in with her, and as he did she could tell his whole body was tightly coiled. He chose to sit directly across from her, and she sensed that something was on the tip of his tongue, but he was still hesitating in saying it. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to finally spit it out.

"Is that a new bathing suit?" he finally inquired as Korra grinned happily that he had noticed.

"Yes, it is. It's the present for you that I was talking about before. Do you like it?" Korra asked and watched his head nod a little more vigorously then perhaps he intended.

"Yeah, it's perfect. It looks amazing on you," Tahno confirmed as he could see just the top of it as it peeked out above the water.

"Thanks. So when is your next race?" Korra asked, trying to change the subject to see if she could get him to relax any.

"Tomorrow morning at 10," he answered.

"Oh, well that's nice. You get to sleep in a little, but you seem entirely too tense, like a rubber band about ready to snap. Do you mind if I help with that?" Korra asked as she used her foot to hook under his leg and lifted to grab onto it as she began massaging his foot and lower leg before he could answer.

"Go for it," was all that Tahno could say without his voice wavering out of control.

Those magical and gifted hands of hers had a twofold effect on him, for while he was starting to relax, he was also getting more turned on by the minute, and even in the water his very loose swim trunks were painfully tight. He tried to close his eyes and lean his head back and just relax as she worked up his leg till about the knee before switching legs. She hit a particularly good spot on his calf and he groaned.

"That feels incredible," Tahno praised as he peeked at her and noticed how she was watching him carefully.

"It's supposed to," Korra murmured throatily with a slight chuckle as she finished with that leg and moved forward to kneel on her knees in between his legs.

Tahno lifted his head and looked at her, taking in her hooded eyes and that wicked smirk still playing on those perfect lips of hers. He subconsciously licked his own lips and tried his best not to just lean forward and kiss her mindless while counting down the mere seconds it would take to get her naked and in his lap and show her just how wonderful she was making him feel. Then her hands started massaging his knees before working up his thighs, and he started to panic slightly as he wondered just how far up she was going to go. She wouldn't take her eyes off his; they bored into his soul with those bright blue irises. Then her wicked looking smile grew as her hands moved to his outer hips while she kneaded, her body ridiculously close to his own. She leaned in and he thought she was going to kiss him, that would undo him, but instead she moved back and looked at his shoulders.

"Your shoulders look a little tight. Here, move forward so I can get behind you and rub those too," Korra commanded as she raised herself up from the water.

Tahno watched the water cascade down her body as it steamed in the cold air around her. God help him, her nipples were so hard he imagined they would cut glass if she was to be pushed against some. She reached out and grabbed his hands and pulled him forward before maneuvering to sit directly behind him as she wrapped her legs around his torso. He swallowed hard at feeling her against his back before she leaned away and started working on his neck and shoulders. He unwittingly let out an almost pornographic moan that made her pause, and even he could feel her smile in satisfaction.

"Why are you so tense?" Korra asked as she continued to knead his flesh. "Is it the stress from the competition?"

"Y-yeah, that's, um, part of it. My dad's been putting a lot of pressure on me to win," Tahno explained, the thought souring his features.

"Well, that takes a lot of the fun out if it," Korra muttered irritably.

"Yeah, but with you here it brings the fun back," Tahno pointed out, glancing at her over his shoulder.

They shared a smile before she began using her fists and knuckles to run down the length of his spine on either side of it. Tahno moaned again and Korra repeated the movement.

"Your spine is slightly out of alignment you know," she mentioned softly.

"How can you tell?" he asked, curious how she could deduce that.

"By how your muscles react to my touch," she explained as Tahno sniggered at the deep truth of her words.

"To prove my point, does it hurt here and here?" Korra asked as she placed the point of her knuckles into two points along his back. The hiss she got in response told her she was right. "Thought so," she added smugly as she started working on his lower back and hitting those pressure points perfectly.

She stared intently at the back of his head, wishing she could see the expressions on his face to gauge whether or not she was close to undoing him. She could feel the slight tremble in his body and felt an answering shudder travel through her core, but still it wasn't enough to make him turn around and tell her he wanted her. She wanted him so much it was a like a physical pain. He was softly stroking her legs wrapped around his waist, but she was dying for him to stroke the rest of her body.

"I need a better angle," Korra announced suddenly as she unwrapped herself from him and practically slithered up against his back as she stood in his seat and sat on the edge, the steam coming off of her to shield her from the cold.

She made a conscious effort to 'casually' and 'accidentally' brush her chest against the back of his neck and head a few times, but Tahno was just getting tenser. It was like the more she tried the worse he got. She settled her fingers into his hair, massaging his scalp and purposefully letting his head lean against her breasts. At these new ministrations, she could barely perceive that his breathing had become quicker and rougher, but he remained still as a statue. To her horror, Korra felt tears beginning to prick at her eyes with frustration and hopelessness. She was giving it everything she could without appearing completely desperate, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"What's wrong with me?" Korra muttered despairingly as she stilled her movements and leaned away from him.

"What?" Tahno asked as he opened his eyes and turned to look at her, his brow furrowed in confusion and worry at the sudden shift in her mood.

She shivered and slid back down into the steaming water, her eyes burning with anger as her chin trembled with dejection. "I have been knocking my head against a brick wall trying to seduce you because I love you and you make me crazy! I want you to make love to me and I thought you wanted to too, but you're just sitting there!"

She suddenly stood up in the hot tub, glaring at his shocked face as her fury grew. "Tell me, Tahno, what the fuck do I have to do to get laid?! What's wrong with me?!" she yelled as she hit the water with her fist, splashing it everywhere.

Quicker than she could blink, Tahno lurched up out of the water, reaching out as he grabbed her face and crashed his lips to hers in the fiercest kiss he had ever given her. "Nothing is wrong with you, not a fucking thing," he said between kisses as he plundered her mouth and moved his hands to the back of her neck and lower back, holding her so tight to himself that he swore he could feel her heart beating next to his. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I've been trying so hard to make sure you didn't feel pressured and that I didn't expect anything, and it's been harder than hell trying to resist you. I love you so much and I am so sorry for being the world's biggest idiot," Tahno apologized, the strain of verbalizing his love for her now insignificant compared to what he just went through.

As he locked his mouth to hers again, he settled them back in the water and held her securely in his lap as his hands touched every inch of her that he could reach. They swallowed each other's strangled moans and cries of pleasure as Korra grinded into his lap for all she was worth. Tahno didn't waste any time in untying her top and discarding it as his hands finally found their purchase. It was like her breasts were created for his hands because they filled them completely, if only slightly overflowing his them, which he was not going to complain about, ever. One hand reached down to untie her bottoms but she pulled away, gasping for air.

"Bed," Korra demanded.

"Bed," Tahno agreed as they both jumped out of the hot tub and practically ran into the cabin.

Tahno barely had the sliding door locked and the curtains drawn before Korra was all over him, tugging at his swim trunks. He picked her up and Korra wrapped her legs around him. He squeezed her ass as he walked them over to the bed and took special care to lay her down as he settled over her, his erection finding her soft center as he bucked his hips into her own. She gasped and spread her legs wider, cradling his body into hers.

"Do that again," Korra whimpered before kissing up the column of his neck and sucking on a pulse point. Tahno obliged and was rewarded with a moan. "Please," Korra begged as she sunk her nails into the meat of his shoulders.

Every ounce of Tahno's self-control exploded at that point and his body took over. His fingers found the ties of her bottoms and he pulled at the strings until the knots fell out. Then he lifted his hips enough to pull down his swim trunks and kick them away while also pulling her bottoms off completely. She pulled him back into her and found _**the **_spot on his neck and bit down. Tahno muffled a cry into her neck as one of his hands stroked down her damp skin from her shoulder and over her breast, giving it a good squeeze and rolling the bud between his thumb and index finger. He was rewarded by Korra arching up into his grasp as she rocked her hips upward, her breathing coming in short gasps. Then his hand trailed lower down, over her rib cage and across her toned belly before settling on her hip. She tried bucking against him again, but he pinned her hips to the bed and she delighted in the resistance.

"Lower," Korra murmured in his ear as she nipped at the lobe and proceeded to kiss, nip, and suck down his neck.

He obeyed as his hand trailed to her sex and covered it fully. She was so warm and wet, and not from the water of the hot tub, but from the heat within her. Korra grinded against his hand, a silent plea for him to go further, do more, before her own boldness manifested into her reaching down and running her hand against his length with a delicious and perfect amount of pressure before wrapping her fingers around him and slowly stroking him. At her touch, he immediately reattached their lips and moaned into her mouth as his fingers began exploring her folds. He inserted a single finger, and her little cry of pleasure spiked his own even further as she bucked again and spread her legs wider for him. He curled his finger and tried to find her G-spot as she pulled her head back and plowed it into the pillows, gasping and screwing her eyes shut.

"Oh dear God, don't stop, please, _please_ don't stop," she begged as she thrashed her head back and forth, her breathing became even more labored.

Then she opened her eyes and Tahno saw the almost wild look inside them, daring him to try and tame her. He pressed harder before taking his finger out and adding another, stretching her as his thumb stroked her clit with gusto. He curled his fingers and found her G-spot again and watched her face intensely as she nearly came apart. Korra was stroking him in tandem with his movements on her, and he was so close already that he had to grind his teeth together with the effort to hold himself back. He removed his fingers as she guided his erection to her center, signaling to him that she was more than ready. Tahno stared into her eyes as he lined himself up to her entrance, a single thought traveling through his mind as he gradually began sliding into her: _mine_. It was the most primal instinct he had ever felt in his life and it shook him to his core. Her eyes seemed to mirror the unspoken claim as she stared right back, breathing hard and biting down on her lip as he inched a little further into her tightness. He took her lips in one more, tender kiss before he reached her barrier, and he pulled his mouth away to whisper an apology into her ear as he pushed through the barrier with a solid thrust and held forcibly still as he gave her body time to adjust.

"For the love of all that is holy, _**move**_," Korra growled as she wiggled her hips, trying to spur him into action.

Tahno couldn't help but let out a low, rumbling chuckle as he slowly built up a rhythm that brought them closer, not only physically, but emotionally as well. It was like they were no longer separate but two halves of a whole, finally becoming complete. Korra upped the ante by hiking her legs up higher on his waist to achieve a better angle, subsequently arching her back, and just the sight of her was enough to take his breath away. He used the opportunity to suckle at her breasts while her hands went to his head, holding him there while her fingers went through his hair. Her nails scratched at his scalp, giving him an added sensation and a flash of pain, and he retaliated by biting down lightly on her nipple and he smiled when she gasped.

"Not too hard there, tiger," Korra teasingly warned as she settled back into the mattress.

"Tit for tat," he replied smugly as he brought his face up to hers, grazing their noses together as they shared a breath before kissing her softly, slowing down his movements as he tried to get her to slow down and enjoy the moment. She whined in protest and bucked back, trying to speed him up again. "What's the rush, Pretty Girl?" Tahno crooned as he held himself up on his elbows and looked at her adoringly, stopping his movements altogether.

"I just... want to get there," Korra replied, getting irritated at him again.

Tahno smirked at her impatience and kissed her softly as he brought one of his hands up to sweep her hair away from her face. "Believe me, I do too, but we have all night and you can bet this isn't the last time we're going to do this. I love you, Korra, and I don't want you to just know it; I want you to feel it," he voiced intently, powering one long, hard stroke into her to drive his point across, causing her to let out a long, trailing moan in answer. "You told me to make love to you, and I intend to…" he broke off for a moment to groan gutturally as he pulled out and drove slowly and firmly inside her again. "The way you deserve to be loved," he confided resolutely as he watched a swirl of emotions dance in her eyes.

The sexual irritation was instantly blown away from her face to be replaced by affection and pure, burning lust. The blue fire was back in her eyes, drawing him in and searing him so much it hurt, but for the life of him he couldn't tear his gaze away.

"I love you too, Tahno," Korra began to say before her serious expression morphed into a devious one as she lifted an eyebrow and quirked a corner of her mouth craftily. Chills shot down his spine as delicious flames seemed to lick at his insides, and he could only guess at what thought was going through her mind. "_But_," Korra continued, tightening her powerful legs around his body as she used her strength to roll them until she was on top, straddling him, never once breaking their union as she smiled in triumph. "You are just going to have to try harder, cause this filly ain't been broke yet," she taunted as she rocked her pelvis against his, finally getting the wonderful friction she had been craving.

Tahno smirked again and ran his hands up her thighs to settle them on her hips. "I never want to break or tame you; in fact, I dare you to give me everything you got and don't hold back," Tahno replied huskily as he stared at her fixedly to cement the challenge.

Korra reflected his smile and looked at him as if silently asking 'are you sure?', but the nod he gave her answered her unasked question. "You asked for it," Korra said simply as she shifted her knees on either side of him and raised herself just a few inches as she rolled and swiveled her hips, changing directions and angles to see which felt best before she began gyrating just her hips so fast it caused Tahno to let out a series of loud, uncontrollable moans that matched the rhythm of her movements. The sensation was so amazing that his eyes threatened to roll into the back of his head as he clenched his jaw and let out his breath in sharp hisses, feeling his self-control weaken by the second as her breasts bounced and their skin slapped together. Korra watched his reaction with elated pride before she slowed down and impaled herself again soundly and resigned to gently rocking her hips while she waited for him to recover. Eventually, Tahno opened his eyes and stared at her in lustful wonder.

"How was that even...?" Tahno found himself at a loss for words.

"You're not the only one with smooth moves, Pretty Boy. I spent some time in Egypt in the company of professional belly dancers, and I'm a quick learner," Korra boasted nonchalantly, but her smile could have lit up the darkest of nights.

She gradually sped up the rocking of her hips and experimented with different angles again before she found one that she liked the most. She took Tahno's hands and moved them to her breasts, squeezing her own hands over his until Tahno squeezed them on his own, adjusting them and supporting her with his hold on her. Korra leaned in to his touch as she tilted her head back and moved her hair to one side. Then she slid her hands down his arms and used them for leverage as she continued to rock her body with his, meeting him thrust for thrust, enjoying the power he was giving her. Her face was of tortured bliss as she closed her eyes and focused on the sensations. She was getting closer but still not close enough to her liking. She furrowed her brows as one of her hands left his arm and went to where they were joined as she began to stroke herself.

"Oh, no you don't," Tahno complained as he pulled her hand away and settled it on his chest so she could support herself, then placed his own fingers where hers had just been.

He could smell her essence very clearly now, and it served to build the pressuring ache even more. He used one hand to steady her hip as he thrust upwards while he used the fingertips on the other to do a delicate dance of swirls and rubs over her clit. He felt her inner muscles begin to tighten around him, and his ears devoured the sound of her desperate moans. He rubbed harder and thrust up deeper as he neared his breaking point and prayed that she was closer than he was. It seemed his prayers were answered only a moment later when Korra scrunched up her face and cried out in absolute ecstasy as her hips started to slow. Tahno felt her inner walls convulse, spasm, and tighten around him and he couldn't hold off any longer. With one last deep thrust, he came with a strangled, gasping moan as he held onto her hips like they were his lifeline. Korra collapsed onto his chest, her hair splaying out around her as she fought to catch her breath. Then she put a hand over his heart and felt it beat against her palm, and Tahno felt her smile against his shoulder and the soft, tired smile that spread on his own face was automatic. His hand smoothed up the center of her back, pressing her closer to him as his eyes closed serenely. This moment, this perfect, blissful moment was what he had been waiting for his whole life. He felt perfectly happy, content, at peace, and most importantly, _in love_ with this amazing, gorgeous, gifted, sent from the heavens themselves, woman who meant everything to him and more.

Korra was trying to recover herself as she basked in the amazing afterglow. She knew in every fiber of her being that she loved him, _was in love with him_, would follow him to the ends of the earth if she had to if it meant keeping him close. Heaven help them if they ever broke up, because she would go crazy without him; without this. Not to mention she would feel the devastation all the way to her soul, but a hopeful part of her assured her that he would never leave her, even if she tried to push him away. She smiled at the thought, then smiled wider as Tahno enveloped her completely in his arms and pressed a long, lingering kiss to the crown of her head.

She suddenly felt him tense and breathe in sharply as she lifted her head to look at him with a frown. "What?" she asked, confused at his reaction.

"I forgot to use a condom," Tahno admitted.

Korra gave him a lopsided smile in reassurance. "It's okay, I'm on birth control. Unless there's something_ else_ you need to tell me..." she replied slowly, her voice a little hoarse.

"No, I'm clean. Why are you on birth control already?" Tahno asked as he considered her attentively.

"I've been on birth control for two years because of my cycle being really painful and unpredictable, so once every three months I get an injection that allows my periods to only occur 4 times a year. It's not a big deal, and I can't get pregnant while I'm on it, so we're all set," she informed him, shrugging her shoulders casually.

"Oh, well we should still probably be careful," Tahno added, even though in the back of his mind the thought of her mothering his children someday was extremely appealing. Someday _way_ down the road, that is.

Korra shrugged again and laid her head back down on his chest, her ear over his heart as it returned to a normal pace. Tahno pillowed his right arm underneath his head so he could look down at her better, his left hand skating lightly up and down her spine and leaving pleasurable tingles in its wake. There had been such an intense build up before they had finally gotten into bed together, that they both actually began to feel a steady rebound of their libidos.

"I need a shower so I can get cleaned up. Care to help with that?" Korra murmured suggestively as she lifted her head to meet his gaze, her eyes already sparkling with renewed desire.

"I thought you'd never ask," Tahno purred back cheekily, pleasantly surprised that she would be ready to go again so soon.

Korra made a pleased hum as she kissed him quickly and got off of him, wincing as she stood up.

"Are you okay?" Tahno asked, his concern clear as he sat up and got out of bed.

Korra nodded and grinned. "Yeah, just sore. Can't imagine why," she quipped sarcastically as she stretched and walked towards the bathroom.

"Nothing a hot shower can't fix," Tahno assured her as he followed, finally able to ogle her ass without anything in the way. Her jeans and even that bathing suit hadn't done it justice.

Korra turned on the shower while Tahno got out washcloths and towels and laid them on the counter. The shower stall steamed up quickly and Korra slipped inside, taking Tahno in with her. The water was comfortably hot and soothing, and Korra stood under the water first, then Tahno maneuvered around her as they switched places. Korra shampooed her hair, then reached up and started shampooing his. Tahno felt it was only fair to wash her body in return, paying unnecessary, extra attention to certain key areas. Korra mewled in pleasure as Tahno abandoned the soapy washcloth in favor of simply using his hands as they roamed and kneaded her body. He used his grip on her to bring her closer until her body was flush with his, pulling her under the spray of the water with him.

She closed her eyes to keep the water and soap from getting in them before she felt Tahno's lips on hers, coaxing her to respond, which she did very enthusiastically, even to the point of pushing him up against the wall as her hands explored every inch of him that she could reach. Tahno reached up and moved the shower head to spray on the opposite wall for a moment before turning it back and pushing her up against the now warm tiles as their kissing became frenzied. Tahno reached down to grab her leg, hooking his hand behind her knee and bringing it up to his waist as he pressed her further into the wall. Korra got the hint and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders as she hopped up, fastening her legs around his waist as Tahno slid his hands to her ass to help hold her up as he slid into her with surprising ease and quickly set up a rhythm again. Korra writhed between him and the wall while trying to maintain her slippery grip on him. Her moans started getting louder yet weaker at the same time as they echoed against the tiles, and Tahno knew it wouldn't be long before she came, which was good because he couldn't hold out too much longer.

"Come on, baby," Tahno crooned in Korra's ear, encouraging her as he continued to drive into her as hard as he dared.

He felt himself slipping and growled as he tried to hold back. That was the tipping point for Korra; that growl. Holy fuck, it was hot. It sent a shiver down her spine and was the last push she needed. She tilted her head back and screamed his name as his hips stuttered and slammed into her a few final times before he spilled into her, her name leaving his lips like a sacred prayer. They stilled for a while before Tahno let her back down on her feet. She wobbled slightly, causing Tahno to hold onto her until she was steady.

"You okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Tahno asked anxiously as he bent down to look into her eyes.

"I'm good. I'm _great_ actually. Damn, that was... awesome. We should do that again. Not now but later, like tomorrow or something," Korra replied with a bright yet sleepy smile.

"Sounds like a plan," Tahno agreed with a wicked smile, already imagining what it was going to be like and promising himself that he was really going to take his time as he worshiped every inch of her.

They lazily brushed their teeth together, falling into a natural rhythm as their night time routines fell into place around each other, as though they had been doing this for years. Even falling into bed together felt inherent, Korra instinctively taking the right side while Tahno took the left as they met in the middle and spooned against each other. They silently savored how amazingly they fit into each other, as though they had been molded for one another so that it just felt… right.

Tahno and Korra both fell asleep easily, each one exhausted yet entirely at peace.

* * *

_Author's notes- Thank you Alaburn for being a fantastic beta as always. Thank you_ _ShOrtSh4dow for being our fanart girl, you're amazing. _

_Yeah so this part is just basically all sex. Just...a lot of hot, literally steamy sex and they aren't done yet. But this is Tahnorra, sex is inevitable and obviously a natural step in their relationship. _

_Thank you for reading, reviews are love. :)_


	18. For Every High There is a Low

We Love the Water

Chapter 14, Part 3

Tahno woke up first the next morning, his natural instinct being to nuzzle into Korra's hair and the soft skin of her neck and shoulder. He didn't even open his eyes as he smiled and softly kissed her shoulder, tightening his hold around her as he brought them closer together.

"Good morning," Korra sweetly yet sleepily replied as she moved her arm to cover his from where it rested on her waist, still not bothering to open her eyes.

"Morning, Pretty Girl," Tahno responded in a sleep roughened voice as he lifted his head to look at her.

"Not so pretty right now though," she retorted as she stretched and cracked her eyes open to peer at him blearily.

"On the contrary, sleeping with me seems to agree with you," he countered with a smirk as he brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment to me or to you?" she asked sardonically as she rubbed at the corners of her eyes.

"I don't know. I just know that you've never looked better to me," he answered softly as he took in her messy hair, sleep flushed complexion, and the knowing look in her eyes that mirrored his own. A strengthened possessiveness that they shared like a small secret between them.

Korra hummed as she rolled onto her back, allowing his upper body to cover her own. "What time is it anyway?" she inquired with a barely contained yawn.

Tahno rolled off to check his phone. "Almost 8. I gotta leave in about an hour and a half to make it to the race in time, so we're not in any rush," he assured her as he rolled back on top of her.

"Hmm, how to pass the time...?" Korra mused sarcastically as she gave him a challenging smirk.

"Oh, I'm sure we could think of _something_," Tahno murmured promisingly as he began to nuzzle and kiss up and down the column of her neck, causing her to sigh happily as she allowed him to do as he pleased.

He started kissing down her body, taking the tank top off that she wore to bed as he did so. He worshiped her with his mouth and hands, slowly yet with intensity and purpose. He got all the way down to her feet and then worked his way back up, finally able to give her legs their due honor he'd been wanting to give them since the first time he saw them. He got to her upper thighs and couldn't help but smile evilly in knowing the delights just inches away. He purposefully started leaving open mouthed kisses on her inner thighs, keeping his eyes fixed on her face as he kissed towards her center. He got painfully close before Korra sat up slightly and gave him an excited yet quizzical glance, her breathing becoming ragged and causing her chest to heave slightly.

They froze for a moment, just staring at each other and having a silent conversation before Korra rose an eyebrow and gave a little grin as her permission for him to proceed. After sliding her underwear off, Tahno slowly began using his fingers to explore her delicate folds, repeating the same process he had used the night before until Korra had laid back down and closed her eyes as she fisted the sheets to keep from clawing his head. Without warning, Tahno withdrew his hands, leaving Korra to whine in protest before replacing them with his tongue and making her gasp and utter incoherent syllables. But somehow the little nonsense words of pleasure made perfect sense to him, and he used them for navigation as he brought her to the edge. Her body was covered with a fine layer of sweat as she breathed very heavily, her voice already hoarse again as every nerve ending in her body felt over-sensitized. She felt like delicious lightning was dancing over her body, mostly between her legs where Tahno's head was, giving her some of the greatest pleasure she hadn't even known existed, and she loved every bit of it and craved even more.

"Tahno, I-I'm..." was all Korra managed to say before Tahno clamped his lips down on her clit while he inserted two fingers, locating her G-spot and sending her careening over the edge of the cliff of bliss as she practically screamed her climax, her pelvis lifting up to grind on his face as she rode out her orgasm. It had been the biggest and greatest one she had had so far, and she knew Tahno would make sure it wouldn't be the last.

The initial, explosive waves passed and Tahno gave her one last long lick and watched with pride as it sent a visible, quaking shiver up her body.

"Holy hell, babe, how... how did... how was that... even... damn," Korra managed to say as she slung an arm over her head and fought to control her breathing.

"I take it that was the first time anyone ever did that to you?" Tahno muttered with a self-satisfied expression and smiled as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yeah, I didn't even think... I can't even think straight. Fuck, what did you do to me? I think you broke me," she teased as she smiled back at him.

"Pretty sure I could figure out how to put you back together if I did," Tahno said confidently as he crawled back up to lay on his side next to her.

"So how much time do we have now?" Korra asked as her smile took on a crafty edge.

"Still over an hour," he replied quickly as he moved to cover her mouth with his own.

An hour later they finally pulled themselves out of bed to get ready for the first race.

"I've been meaning to ask, do you want me to be with you at the top, or do you want me to wait for you at the finish line?" Korra asked him as he put on his race clothes.

"Why don't you wait for me at the finish line? That way we can celebrate as soon as I win," Tahno answered as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

"Are you always this cocky before a race?" she worded mockingly as she looked at him over her shoulder while rifling through the clothes she brought to wear.

"Do you even have to ask?" he supplied derisively as he briefly met her smirking gaze.

She shrugged and chuckled before asking, "Do I have time for a quick shower?"

"Can you take a shower in less than ten minutes?"

"Pssh, heck yes. I can do it in less than four actually. Care to time me?" Korra challenged as she passed him.

He heard the shower come on and then go off shortly after. "Three minutes and twenty one seconds," Tahno called out as she stepped out, and he looked into the bathroom to see her fist pump the air.

"Ha! Told you. Okay, now give me just a few more minutes to get ready and I'll be all set,"

Korra said as she dried off and wrapped her hair up in the towel and finished getting ready with surprising speed.

"You sleep in a lot, don't you? This seems normal for you," Tahno said as he watched her get ready, not bothering to hide his leering.

"Yup. Like I said, I like my sleep," Korra replied as she slid into her jeans and put on her socks.

Tahno just chuckled at her as he got his gear on, then he helped her put her coat on before they headed out the door and made their way to the lodge. Once Tahno was on the lift, Korra made a quick detour to the little grille/bistro thing they had and got herself a giant breakfast burrito and one for Tahno since she knew he hadn't eaten either. She put his into the inner pocket of her coat while she devoured hers and made her way to the crowd of people gathered at the finish line. As she tried to walk and stuff her face at the same time, she accidentally bumped into someone walking towards the ski lift.

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" a gruff, male voice snapped as she fumbled to keep from dropping her food.

Korra whirled around to face none other than Hunter as he made a big show of straightening his skis. When he looked up and realized who he had run into, Korra felt extremely gratified to see the small flinch of fear on his features.

"What did you say to me?" she demanded with a glare.

He scowled at her but couldn't seem to think of anything he felt comfortable enough to say.

"That's what I thought," she taunted with a smirk. "If you kept your nose out of the air for ten seconds you might be able to see where you're going."

"And if you took it easy on that burrito, maybe you wouldn't run so many people over. Some might even say you have enough meat on you as it is," he retaliated condescendingly.

Korra let out a fake laugh before sneering back, "Is that supposed to insult me? Or have you just never known what a real woman looks like?"

"Don't judge him too much, Korra," Sasha said as she came up beside with her hands on her hips. "He probably wouldn't know a real woman if she twisted his arm behind his back. In fact, he's probably never met woman who was willing to touch him with a ten-foot pole."

Hunter's glare intensified as the two girls began laughing at him, and he tried to think of a cutting remark to say before Korra cut him off, "Run along, Hunter."

"Why? You gonna call your boyfriend over here to beat me up if I don't?"

"No, _I'll_ beat you up. Again. But the reason I told you to go is because I think you're about to be late for your race," Korra mentioned, gesturing to the direction of the starting line.

Muttering under his breath, Hunter took off again and practically ran to the ski lift. Sasha chuckled once more before turning to look at Korra appraisingly. "So? Did it happen?"

Korra fought the grin that tried to spread over her face as she felt herself blush scarlet and dropped Sasha's stare as she shrugged happily.

"I'll take that as a hell yes," Sasha answered for her as she forced Korra to look at her again, her eyes beaming with glee. "And how was it?"

"It was… amazing," Korra finally managed to say while her face glowed and she sighed dreamily.

"No, I mean how WAS IT? I need more detail!"

Korra smirked as she shook her head. "I'm not telling you all that! What's the matter with you?"

Sasha rolled her eyes and waved dismissively at Korra's modesty. "Oh, you'll get over that sooner or later, and then you can tell me how it went down. By the way, I'm about to go meet Bo at the top. We're gonna watch Tahno take off and then he's going to take me over to the smaller slopes and show me how to snowboard. Let us know how he did, okay?"

Korra agreed and said goodbye as they departed, then finally found a spot where she would have a good view of the skiers as they came down the final stretch of slope before crossing the finish line. It wasn't long before she spotted Tahno flying down the hill and then watched as he passed smoothly through the finish line with another skier only a second or two behind him, who she recognized with chagrin as Hunter.

Korra couldn't go over to him yet, but she stood and cheered with the rest of the crowd, hopping up and down and waving as she tried to get his attention. She saw him take off his head gear and look around, breathing hard from the race. Then his eyes found hers and he froze, holding her gaze with a serious expression for a few seconds before allowing his lips to quirk into a victorious grin. But then he had to break off the stare as he was led away to receive his trophy. Korra watched as the first, second, and third place trophies were handed out and as Tahno shook hands with the other skiers and race officials. In her opinion it was all taking entirely too long. She just wanted to touch him again, take him back to their cabin, strip all his heavy clothes off him and give him her own version of a winner's reception. Where should they go? Back to the hot tub, the bed, the shower? Or maybe try the couch by the fireplace this time? Maybe all of the above? Probably.

She noticed the brief glances of longing he kept sending over to her, as though the same thoughts were going through his head, before he eventually got away and strolled over to where she was waiting for him, wearing perhaps the cockiest grin she had ever seen on his face. Korra rolled her eyes as he practically strutted over, but smiled anyway as the distance between them was closed at last. Holding his skis in one hand and the trophy in the other, Tahno wrapped the arm holding the trophy around her back and leaned down as he kissed her in a way that might have been a little too intimate for being surrounded by other people.

"Congratulations," Korra whispered as they pulled away, then suddenly remembered the food in her pocket. "I got you some breakfast," she offered as she opened her coat and pulled out the burrito as she traded it for the trophy in his hand.

"Oh my God, you don't even know," Tahno moaned in sincere gratitude as he unwrapped and bit into it while they began making their way over to where his car was parked.

"It's pretty," Korra remarked as she turned the trophy over in her hands, looking at it admiringly.

"That's not really what got me down the mountain so fast though," he said between mouthfuls, looking down at her meaningfully. "This is."

"What? A breakfast burrito?" she asked, smiling at her own joke.

He just hummed contentedly as he swallowed the bite he'd been chewing and leaned down to capture her lips in another kiss.

"I kept thinking about you waiting for me at the bottom, and I knew that the faster I got down, the faster we could leave and go… celebrate," Tahno explained in his sultry voice, grinning cheekily.

"Don't you have another race this afternoon?" Korra inquired as she tried to ignore her now racing heart.

"I did, but I withdrew because as long as I place either first or, heaven forbid, second in the main race tomorrow afternoon, I don't have to compete in any more events to win the tournament all together. And that leaves the rest of the day and most of tomorrow for just us," he told her as they reached the car and he put his skis into the rack on the roof.

"Aw, really? I can think of a few things we could do with all that time: nature walks, ice skating, and I think there's an arcade somewhere around here..." Korra started listing off sarcastically, but then busted out laughing at the look of baffled disbelief on Tahno's face.

"You're funny," he replied as they got in the car. "Funny looking anyway," he added with a snicker at her resulting pout. "I'm kidding. You're beautiful," Tahno relented as her pout turned into a scowl.

"You better be," Korra retorted, but she smiled elatedly nonetheless while she reached out to hold his hand.

At 3 am that night, Tahno and Korra collapsed on the bed, covered in sweat and fighting to catch their breath.

"Oh God, what have I done?" Tahno wondered out loud in between gasps.

"What are you talking about?" Korra responded, confused.

"I've created a monster, that's what I'm talking about. Jesus, you wear me out," he answered, instigating Korra to laugh that beautiful, animated laugh of hers that he could never get enough of. There wasn't a surface in that cabin that hadn't seen action. Tahno always felt his libido was high but Korra seemed to have a higher one, it was like she was nearly insatiable.

"No, no you didn't. The 'monster' has been in the making for a while. You just unleashed it," Korra clarified as she turned into his side, making Tahno lift his head up to consider her as he raised his eyebrow and smirked.

"Hmm, and just how long have you been restraining this carnalcreature?" Tahno inquired in a purr as he wrapped her up in his arms.

She looked up at him and gave him another brilliant smile, effectively stopping his heart for the millionth time. There were times like this when he really did thank the powers that be for letting him have her in his life, because he knew he didn't deserve anything as amazing and wonderful as her. It was like she had been made just for him.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Korra replied sleepily as she snuggled into his chest, yawning and settling down as she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent deep into her lungs and let it calm her heart and spirit.

Tahno pulled the blankets up around them and settled back into her, holding her close. "I love you," he whispered, the words feeling natural now, flowing freely from him.

"I love you too," Korra whispered back, kissing his chest and not bothering to open her eyes, but let a soft, serene smile grace her lips as she felt the weight of sleep pull her down.

During the night, Korra rolled over and started lightly thrashing before she sat straight up and screamed. "NO!" Korra cried out, causing Tahno to wake up with a jolt and sit up to grab her instinctively.

"What?!" Tahno asked, his heart thundering in his chest as adrenaline poured into his blood stream.

Korra turned and clung to him while she bawled into his chest. He was still at a loss for what was going on but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her completely as he used one hand to stroke comfortingly down her hair and back.

"Korra, baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked.

"I thought you died!" she managed to get out in between sobs.

"No, I didn't. I'm still here. It was just a nightmare," Tahno assured her as her breathing started to slow down and her sobs faded.

"I'm sorry, I just... it was so real. God, I hope that dream never comes true," Korra said after she managed to settle down.

"Don't worry. That's all it was, just a dream. It doesn't mean anything," he muttered as he continued to hold her and rub her back. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry..." she mumbled again as she pressed her head back onto his chest, listening to his heart beat intently and deciding it was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, especially in that moment. "Let's go back to sleep," Korra suggested as they laid back down.

She pulled herself as close as physically possible to him before finally going back to sleep. Tahno held her the rest of the night, trying to give her whatever peace his presence could give her.

The following afternoon arrived, along with the final race of the three day tournament. Korra went along with Tahno on a practice run of the course, and about half way through it, Tahno showed her a thickly wooded section that caused the course to fork. It was designed for skiers to go around, but Tahno revealed his plan to ski straight through it instead. As he explained to her what he was going to do and how it would be used to his advantage, Korra immediately hated the idea.

"It's cheating," she told him bluntly.

"Not technically," Tahno argued. "I cleared it with one of the refs, and it's definitely a part of the course."

"Whatever, that doesn't mean it's meant to be skied through. It's supposed to be an obstacle to go around, not a challenge for overconfident morons with a death wish! It's a stupid idea to come through here; you could hit a tree or something."

"But it shaves about five seconds off the time, and I barely beat Hunter in that last race. I need this edge. It may be a risk, but-"

"An unnecessary and stupid risk," Korra interrupted, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a pointed look.

Tahno clenched his jaw and stared back defiantly. "It's a risk that's worth the reward," he bit out forcefully in a tone that sounded too much like his father's.

"Why are you even doing this?" Korra questioned.

"I need to win," Tahno answered gravely.

"Why is winning a _**need**_ instead of a _want_?"

"Because if I don't win my dad is going to go ballistic. Living at home is already difficult enough, and he's putting so much pressure on me to win. If I lose this, he _will_ make my life a living hell," Tahno tried to explain.

"So screw him! Why don't you just move out?"

"I don't trust them to take care of Sura the way she needs to be taken care of. If I leave I don't know if I would ever get to see her," Tahno admitted painfully.

"Oh," Korra replied, suddenly seeing things a bit clearer. She let out a defeated sigh and unhooked her feet from her snowboard before walking up to him and hugging him because she didn't know what else to say or do. "I'm sorry," she said after a beat.

"Me too, but hopefully he'll lighten up once I win today," Tahno muttered as he hugged her back. "Look, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I did it last year and it worked beautifully, trust me," Tahno tried to assure her.

"Fine. I'm still not happy about it, and I'm going to watch you from the starting line just to make sure you make it down okay," Korra relented with a note of finality.

"I can deal with that, but you need to stop worrying. I'll be fine, I promise," Tahno repeated as he pulled away to look at her, making sure she could see that there was nothing to be worried about.

Korra stood near the starting line, still praying that Tahno would change his mind. He looked over at her as she gripped her snowboard tightly and watched him and the other competitors make their final preparations before the race. Then he took his place in line and chanced one last look at her. She looked back, nervous but proud of him, judging by the smile she was giving him. He winked at her and gave her the soft, knowing smile he reserved only for her just seconds before the signal was given.

At the short, shrill sound, Tahno took off, immediately transporting his full attention to the course before him as he easily took the lead. But to completely secure the win, he cut through the forest just like he had planned, winding through the trunks at a blurring speed. He nearly missed one tree, then a second. He saw the clearing; he was almost free, but before he even had time to process it, a low hanging limb seemed to appear out of nowhere. He saw it flying towards him and he realized he would hit it a split second before he did. It was large and solid and caught him in the neck and face with a horrific crash, throwing him backwards as the momentum caused him to become wrapped unnaturally around a tree. Then everything went black.

* * *

_Author's notes- Thank you to Alaburn for betaing and thank you to ShOrtSh4dow for inspiring that cute scene with Sasha and Hunter. _

_Yup, a cliffy, I will just be over here, waiting for the death threats to roll in. _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and push us to write faster. _


	19. Family Secrets Revealed

We Love the Water

Chapter 15

Korra watched as Tahno flew down the mountain, but she lost sight of him as he entered the woods. A very slow few seconds passed, and then she heard the unmistakable sound of a crash. Her heart plummeted as she watched in horror as unsettled snow fell from the tree tops. Without thinking, she put her feet into the foot holds of her snowboard, and then hopped onto the course without even bothering to strap her feet in place. She followed his tracks until she saw him, slumped into a heap at the base of a tree at an unnatural angle. She jumped off her snowboard and ran the remaining distance before dropping to Tahno's side, then she rolled him onto his back and ripped off her gloves as she checked to see if he was breathing. He wasn't.

Korra unzipped his jacket, pushing it away to start CPR as she silently thanked the training her parents had insisted on. She couldn't hear or see anything other than Tahno, and she surprised herself by not instantly going into a panic, but instead an unusual calm took her over as she started remembering all the steps and procedures that had been drilled into her for just this kind of situation. She finally got Tahno to start breathing again but he was otherwise still unresponsive.

"Tahno! Tahno, wake up!" Korra cried out as she held his face between her cold, trembling hands. His eyes didn't open.

She heard shouts off to the side somewhere and knew that more help was coming, but she still kept monitoring Tahno's condition as though she was his only hope. Now that his breathing and pulse had returned, she began to assess the rest of him. In order to give him CPR, she had had no choice but to move him away from the tree he'd been wrapped around, but she now realized that she could have worsened any damage that might have been done to his spine. His face was covered in small lacerations that were oozing bits of blood, but she was more concerned about the blood trickling down from a spot just above his hairline. She scanned down the rest of his body and noted the slight, odd contortions here and there, especially on his left leg. Korra tried in vain to swallow as the initial panic that had faded at the sound of his breathing returned in a rushing flood.

She kept Tahno's head and neck immobilized until the medics finally showed up and took over as they called for emergency transport. Because of where they were and after assessing the severity of his condition, they called for a helicopter to come and get him off the mountain. Korra worked with the medics to get Tahno as stabilized as possible while they waited for the helicopter to arrive. He still wasn't waking up and Korra's fear increased by each agonizing second as she held onto his hand, trying to keep it warm as it rested limply in her tight hold.

"Korra?"

Korra looked up to see who had called her and noticed for the first time that a crowd of the race spectators had formed around the edge of the woods. It was difficult to make out any distinct faces with her vision blurry from trying to hold back tears, but then she spotted Sasha venturing slowly forward with a concerned look on her face.

"What?" Korra replied, her voice cracking as she began wiping her eyes with her other hand.

"Are you going to ride with Tahno to the hospital?" Sasha inquired carefully.

Korra looked to the medics pleadingly as they shared a look between them. "Are any of his family members present?" one of them asked.

"No, it's just me. I'm his girlfriend. Please," she begged, not caring if she sounded desperate.

They nodded in assent, wearing understanding expressions as they continued working over her unconscious boyfriend.

"Okay, give me your keys to the cabin and Tahno's car and I'll pack up his and your stuff and meet you at the hospital. I'll take care of everything so you don't have to worry about it," Sasha said as she walked closer and knelt down next to Korra to put an arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay," she whispered as they both looked down at Tahno, already situated on a stretcher as the sound of the helicopter reached their ears.

Korra fished out the keys and handed them to her friend as they confirmed with the medics which hospital Tahno would be taken to. Then Sasha assured Korra that she would call her and Tahno's families to tell them what happened and where they would be.

"We'll see you there," Sasha said, pulling Korra into a firm hug as the medical team from the helicopter came and got Tahno.

Korra then jogged to catch up with the team as they carried Tahno to the helicopter, her heart jumping with adrenaline as the wind from the blades whipped her hair around her head and as she tried to keep Tahno's deadly pale face in her view. Finally, they were in and the door was slammed closed. Korra felt her stomach drop as they lifted off the ground and the flurry of activity went on around her in the small confines. Her mind felt like it was going everywhere at once, and she looked out the window, searching for the steadying feel of Sasha's gaze. She saw her standing at the edge of the woods, waving up at her as they continued to ascend, and Korra lifted her hand half-heartedly in return and kept her eyes trained on her until she disappeared from view.

She was pressed back into a corner as her thoughts and emotions began to whirl around her again. Everything felt numb and chaotic at the same time, as if it was another nightmare that she would wake up from soon. Her sight of Tahno's face was blocked by the medics as they worked over him, but she was still able to reach out and take his hand into hers. Almost instantly, she felt the whirling slow down as she became anchored to his touch, and she focused on him and his skin against hers. The fog in her mind dissipated as she prayed for him to wake up, willing his fingers to curl around her own in a reciprocating grip.

She startled slightly when one of the medics touched her arm to get her attention, then they began asking her questions about his injuries and if Tahno had any allergies and Korra answered them the best she could. Suddenly, she felt Tahno's hand constrict around her grasp, and she felt the relief flow over her like cooling water. Before she could say anything, the medics were on him again, shining lights in his eyes and asking him questions as they attempted to get responses from him.

"Korra," Tahno managed to choke out in a broken whisper.

Korra's heart jumped at the sound of him saying her name while simultaneously breaking at the weak, pained voice. "I'm here," she answered even though she couldn't maneuver to see let him see her.

The medics were the ones closest to his face, and with his head in a neck brace and the rest of his body strapped to a stretcher, he couldn't move to see her so all she could do was squeeze his hand to let him know she was there.

Tahno squeezed back almost desperately, and eventually his mind caught up enough to answer the medic's questions with either a no or a yes. He felt like he could barely breathe, his whole body hurt, and the only thing keeping him from panicking was Korra. Her hold on him was like his lifeline.

Once at the hospital, Tahno was rushed into surgery and Korra stayed with him as long as possible, but then she was forced to let him go and her heart felt like it was tearing in two. She stood behind the doors of the surgical wing, her feet rooted to the ground while her soul was somehow hollow. She hadn't told him goodbye. The numb yet chaotic anguish returned in a storm at his departure and a strange suffocation settled over her. She was directed to a waiting room where she sat, waiting for anything.

She had no idea how much time had passed when she suddenly heard her father's voice. "Korra," Tonraq called as he rounded a corner, and Korra jumped out of her seat and practically leaped into his arms like she used to when she was a little girl and had gotten hurt, knowing he would comfort her and make everything better.

The tears she had been holding in finally came pouring down her face as she let go of her own exhausted will power and took in the strength that resonated from him.

"Daddy," Korra whimpered into his chest as she buried her face into his shirt and fisted her hands into the fabric.

Tonraq only held her as tight as he could without crushing her as he sat them down on the nearest couch. "It's alright, sweetheart. It's okay," he soothed as he petted her hair and held her close.

Korra finally managed to pull away and explain what had happened to Tahno and what she had done for him until help had arrived.

"You did everything right, Korra. There is nothing more you could have done for him. I'm so proud of you," her father assured her as she began to calm down.

Korra's mother and Nana arrived not long after with Tahno's parents showing up just moments after that. It was an uneasy semi-reunion since the adults hadn't been in the same room together in over 12 years. Korra went through the story again, only this time much more put together. Cohen never said a word, and he had a rather difficult to read expression on his face which Korra didn't care to read into. Norah looked visibly upset and shaken but remained dry-eyed and composed for the most part as she asked a few questions. Korra didn't know what bothered her more, Norah's poise or Cohen's silence.

A nurse came out a little later and gave them an update on Tahno's condition. "He's in surgery right now. We're doing a total knee replacement for his left knee since it looked like gravel when we first opened it up and is far beyond repair. Besides that, he had sustained some whiplash and suffered a concussion but shouldn't have any lasting brain damage as far as we can tell at this point in time. He also has three cracked ribs and some minor internal bleeding that we couldn't find the source of but that has stopped. All his vital organs are intact and have not been damaged other than some minor bruising, but considering the force of his impact, it was expected. It will take him some time to heal and recover from these injuries," the nurse, named Betty, very calmly explained.

"How much time?" Cohen asked evenly.

"Months. Approximately three to six months at the minimum if he works with a rehabilitation therapist and keeps a positive attitude and high spirits, that's the most important thing," Betty answered. "He should be in surgery for another few hours, then after he recovers from surgery we will get him into a room where you will be able to see him," she finished telling them as she turned to leave.

"I'm so sorry, but at least we know he's going to be fine," Nana said consolingly as she patted Norah on the arm.

"Thank you," Norah replied with a nod and a brave, albeit sad smile.

"I'm getting some coffee," Cohen grumbled as he walked away, not even bothering to say anything to anyone else.

Norah sighed in defeat as Senna came up next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's take a walk," Senna suggested softly, and Norah nodded as they took off in a seeming random direction.

Tonraq and Nana decided sat down on either side of Korra as she rested her elbows on her knees and called Sasha and Bolin to give them the update. Sasha had taken care of everything like she had promised. She had Korra and Tahno's bags in her car and had arranged to have Tahno's car towed to his house.

Mako, Bolin, and Sasha came into the hospital entry way to find Korra where she had come down to wait for them. Sasha hugged her first, followed by both Bolin and Mako, then they walked back toward the waiting room where everyone else was.

Cohen had seen them as he was getting his coffee and watched the interaction critically. He recognized Sasha and figured the guy who had his arm around her waist was probably her boyfriend, but the other guy lingered in his hug too long for Cohen to accept as merely platonic. In fact, the other guy with the red scarf seemed to be entirely too close and attentive to his son's girlfriend, and his suspicions were immediately raised. That little bitch was cheating on his son right under his nose. Tahno was in goddamn surgery for Christ's sake, and here she was running into another man's arms. Figures. Cohen made the decision to pull the wool from his son's eyes at the first opportunity so he could see her for what she was, a gold digging tramp. He had known what she was before he ever met her and knew it had only been a matter of time before something like this happened.

He sipped his coffee while a cruel smile graced his lips, then he came back to see his wife and Senna talking while Korra sat between her father and red scarf guy, who was again being particularly attentive. Cohen just huffed a chuckle as he took a seat next to his wife and continued to maintain his strict silence. He had nothing to say to these people. Their presence was more annoying than whatever 'comfort' they thought they were bringing. Korra even looked disconnected, that little two timing harlot, pretending to be hurt and distraught when she was probably calculating how much she was going to get out of Tahno while leading him on before he figured it out.

Even though Korra was surrounded by people she loved, she still felt all alone. It didn't matter how many people were there, talking and filling the space around her. Without Tahno, she might as well be invisible. As she sat there, she started to notice something: no one was talking to Cohen, and Cohen wasn't talking to anyone else. If anything, he looked irritated that all these people seemed to care about the well-being of his child. Did that man ever show emotion? Did he ever wear something that wasn't a suit? He happened to move his head in Korra's direction, and she quickly turned away. The last thing she wanted was to get any more on his bad side than she already was, and she had an inkling that staring was probably a good way to get there. Why did her boyfriend's dad have to be such a confounded hardass?

Korra then flicked her eyes over to Norah who was talking quietly with her mom. It seemed like they were catching up and getting along, and at least that appeared to be going smoothly. Bolin and Sasha were sitting nearby and talking quietly as well, holding hands and making Korra feel absolutely sick with wanting Tahno, healthy, whole, and smirking while holding her in his arms. She tried to distract herself with checking email or texting Asami or just anything to keep from going insane. She had so much nervous energy, she felt like she could run five miles straight and still feel the need to move. And with Mako on the other side of her, watching her every move, she felt overly anxious and uncomfortable. She was grateful for his support but she just really needed some space.

"I have some good news," Betty announced as she came back out into the waiting room. "Tahno is out of surgery and is recovering nicely. While we get a room ready for him, his family can come and see him."

Cohen stood and grasped Norah's hand as they followed the nurse. Korra also stood up to ask the nurse when she could see him, but Cohen snapped his head toward her with a burning glare that stopped her in her tracks.

"_**Family only**_," he bit out in a deadly tone, sneering at her shocked face as he tugged Norah through the swinging doors.

The moment they were out of sight of the others, Norah jerked her arm out of his firm grip. "That was uncalled for," she muttered with a glower.

"The nurse said his family could see him, not people trying to weasel into his family. That girl _**is not**_ part of this family, and I'll be damned if she ever will be," Cohen countered stiffly and in a tone that Norah knew not to argue with.

They entered the recovery room as Tahno was still in the process of waking up from the anesthesia.

"Oh, sweetheart," Norah gasped as she went to his bedside and held an uninjured hand as she swept his hair from his face with her other hand. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she sat in a nearby chair, still holding his hand.

"Fantastic," Tahno mumbled weakly, trying to disguise the pain in his voice with sarcasm. "Where's Korra?" he asked as he looked around the room and couldn't find her.

"She's in the waiting room. The nurse said only family could come in right now. It's hospital policy," Norah calmly replied.

Tahno closed his eyes and groaned, unable to conceal his frustration at the idiotic hospital rules. "Fuck the policy. I need her, Mom," he tried to plea through the pain and the grogginess of the meds as his mother scowled at his language.

Cohen snorted in derision at the request. "How about we start with you deciding to run into a tree and obliterating a perfectly good knee?" Cohen demanded sternly.

Norah snapped her head up at her husband and narrowed her eyes at him. "He just got out of surgery, he's obviously in pain, and now is not the time for an interrogation. Could you at least wait until he's a little bit recovered before you start criticizing him?" she spat forcefully, allowing her protective maternal instincts to take over for once.

Cohen arched an eyebrow at her, but his usually passive wife stayed firm.

"Fine, if he wants his so-called girlfriend over his own parents, then let him have her. We'll just go home then," Cohen barked.

"That's not fair, Cohen. That's not what he said," Norah argued.

"Who said anything about fair? He's made his choice!" Cohen retorted loudly as he gestured to his son who was trying not to flinch in pain at the volume of his dad's voice.

"If you insist on being this impossible, then we should leave. He does _not_ need this right now!" Norah fired back as she stood and turned to her son. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'll get the nurse to send Korra back here to stay with you. Get some rest. I love you and I will see you tomorrow, alright?" Norah cooed as she cupped his cheek.

"I love you too, Mom. I'm sorry," Tahno responded softly, his eyes conveying his real meaning.

"Me too," Norah whispered sadly before leaving Tahno's side and fixing her husband with a glare as they left the room and began making their way down the hall.

"What kind of father makes his son choose between his parents and his girlfriend? Korra's a nice girl. Just because-"

"Don't start," Cohen warned as he cut her off.

"No. Don't _you_ start," she growled menacingly as she stopped and pointed a finger in his face. "We could have lost him, Cohen. Do you hear me? He could have _died_ instead of just getting injured! I almost lost my child, and you're still trying to pick fights with him by complaining about everything you think is wrong with him!"

"Where is this coming from?" he demanded harshly as he stared down at her.

"It's always been here. I'm just angry enough to show it to you now," she answered simply before lowering her voice to a whisper. "Now stop being an ass so we can talk to his surgeon and go home," she insisted with a huff as she turned and walked briskly down the hallway, her dumbfounded husband trailing after her as he tried to make sense of what he had he had just witnessed.

When Tahno's parents had gone back to the recovery room with the nurse, Senna stared daggers at Cohen for speaking that way to her daughter, and if the circumstances had been different, she would have outright slugged him for it. Tonraq was less than happy as well with the other man's treatment of his little girl, especially after all the attentive care she had given to Cohen's son. He and Senna both stood as they walked up to where she stood, battling her wounded emotions in the middle of the brightly lit room.

"It's okay, honey. You'll get to see him soon," her father said comfortingly as he put his arm around her.

But Korra just seemed to harden herself even more as she crossed her arms and bit down on her shaking lower lip.

Senna sensed that a breakdown may be imminent and chose to lead Korra away to the privacy of the bathroom.

"The fucking asshole!" Korra shouted as soon as the door closed behind them. "What does he think I'm trying to do? Ruin their 'family bonding time'?! Yeah right! How much trouble would I get in for punching his lights out in a hospital?"

Senna tried not to smile since she wanted to do the same thing but knew that it wouldn't fix anything, even if it might make them feel better. "Korra, you can't let him get to you. That man is the most uptight jerk I've ever known, and I've even known him to be called the 'destroyer of happiness'. However, he's your boyfriend's father, and I'm sorry, but if you plan to keep Tahno in your life then you are going to have to learn how to deal with his family, Cohen in particular," Senna tried to explain in a low, calming tone.

"But why does it feel like he hates me?" Korra asked, and Senna didn't know exactly what to tell her.

"Korra, he treats everyone like that. It's just his way," she replied as Sasha poked her head inside the bathroom.

"Korra? Tahno's asking to see you," Sasha informed her urgently but with a gentle smile.

"I'll be right out," Korra responded as she turned on the sink and splashed some cold water over her red eyes and tired features.

She came out a few minutes later with a brave face on as she walked straight up to the nurse and passed Cohen and Norah as they walked back to the waiting room, not even bothering to give Cohen the satisfaction of seeing her tear reddened eyes as she followed the nurse back to Tahno's room. Once inside, she found Tahno nearly bandaged from head to toe.

"Hey, Pretty Boy," Korra whispered as she walked up to his bedside, both happiness and sorrow filling her at the sight of him.

Tahno slowly opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, and an easy smile spread over his marred features. She even suspected he was arching an eyebrow under the bandage on his head. "I don't know about the 'pretty' part..." he replied slowly, his voice gruff and strained.

"I do," Korra stated as she leaned forward and kissed his lips softly, making sure not to press against him. "How are you doing?" she inquired as she pulled away a few inches so she could see into his eyes, which were still slightly glazed over from the meds.

"Better," he assured her as he raised up a hand to hold her face.

Korra couldn't stop the tear that fell onto her cheek as her emotions threatened to drown her, and Tahno hadn't thought he could feel worse until he saw it and felt his agony double.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You really scared me. Please, never do anything that stupid again," Korra insisted, wanting to yell at him and hit him for scaring her so badly, but seeing as how he was already in a world of hurt, she would have to settle for a verbal scolding.

He stared sadly at the obvious pain coming from her eyes, and he hated himself for putting it there. "Come here," he rasped quietly.

"What?" she asked, her brows knitting in confusion. "I am 'here'."

"No. Come here," he repeated, touching the small bit of mattress beside him.

Korra twisted her mouth as she looked at him derisively. "No, I don't want to hurt you even more."

"Then don't. Just sit next to me. It'll be fine," he murmured confidently as he bored his clearing gaze into hers.

Korra sighed but did as he said. It was a little awkward at first, but she finally found a position that offered closeness without further damaging any of his wounds. Once she got settled, Korra turned her head to give him a look that seemed to ask, 'now what'.

"Lean your head this way… further… a little lower," Tahno muttered gently as she wordlessly followed his instructions.

Then he let her stop as her cheek met the tip of his nose, and he began delicately nuzzling the contours of her cheek and jaw as he breathed on her neck. Korra's eyes slid closed in pleasure as she braced her elbow on the raised bed next to his shoulder and reveled in contentment as she was given respite from an ache she hadn't been able to identify until then. Ever since she had given herself to him physically, the nourishment of his touch was as necessary as the nourishment of food. The past couple of days had awakened an addiction to the feel of his skin on hers. Even now with him lying there, broken and bandaged, the inner cry for intimacy hadn't faded in the slightest.

"I promise I won't do anything that stupid again," he breathed as his knuckles came up on the opposite side of her face and brushed her jawline from her ear down to her chin as his mouth lowered to her neck, pushing softly against her flesh with his lips as he inhaled languorously as though he was savoring every inch of her.

Korra was beginning to feel a little guilty for taking comfort from Tahno when he was the one suffering from an entire list of serious injuries, when suddenly she was startled away from him at the sound of a very familiar voice clearing its throat. They looked up to see Korra's mother standing in the doorway with Tahno's doctor, and Korra stood up and looked down in embarrassment as the surgeon approached and began going over the information on Tahno's surgery and plans for his following recovery as Tahno and Korra kept their hands locked together in a reciprocate gesture of comfort. Every now and then, Senna darted a loaded stare at her daughter, giving Korra the uncomfortable feeling that she was being x-rayed.

Then Korra and Senna helped as Tahno was transferred to a regular room and got him settled before everyone except Tahno's parents came piling into the room, and Tahno nearly felt overwhelmed by all the people crowding around his hospital bed. Nana and Senna were as doting as ever while Bolin told jokes, but it was nothing compared to the zingers Nana gave to everyone. Even Tonraq joined in the fun until Tahno felt completely at ease, even despite Mako's presence.

As it got later into the evening, Korra eventually whispered something to her mom and Sasha, instigating Sasha to nod and discretely leave the room just to return a few moments later with Tahno and Korra's bags from the resort. Tahno chanced a secret, questioning glance at Korra, who only smiled sweetly at him. Tahno chose not to say anything and became resolved that he would just have to wait and see what she was planning. Mako, Bolin, and Sasha were the first to make their exit, leaving just Korra and her family. Soon Tonraq, Senna, and Nana left as well, and it was just him and Korra once again. Korra pulled out their bags she had deftly stored in a closet and opened hers up as she pulled out what she needed to get ready for the night.

"What are you doing?" Tahno asked, his hopes rising ridiculously.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting ready for bed," Korra answered.

Tahno fought back a joyous grin as he questioned her further, "Are you sure that's what you want to do? Wouldn't you be more comfortable at your own house and in your 'perfect recipe for sleep'?"

Korra smiled in reply at hearing him quote her words back to her. "That's the thing about recipes, sometimes they get changed for the better. I'm staying right here tonight," she said firmly as she disappeared into the bathroom.

While she was in there, a nurse came in to check on Tahno and give him a new round of pain meds, and he took the opportunity to ask for as many blankets and pillows as he could get for her to be brought in. When Korra came back out, she found the array of soft, cottony fabrics waiting for her on the couch.

"Aww, aren't you sweet? We should get you on morphine more often," Korra teased lightly as she turned away from him and started making up a bed on the couch.

He watched as she bended up and down and stretched over the cushions, still able to appreciate her ass despite his overpowering exhaustion. "Thank you," Tahno suddenly said.

"For what?" she asked without pausing in her task.

"For staying with me. You didn't have to."

"I told you I'm not leaving… unless you actually want me to go for some reason," she worded as she peered at him over her shoulder uncertainly.

"No, please don't go," he pleaded tiredly, his body drained from his ordeal and heavy with the painkillers.

Korra watched as his breathing started to slow and he fought to keep his eyelids open. She smiled softly before coming over to kiss him goodnight. "Get some sleep. I'll be right here if you need me, I love you," she whispered as she pulled away and settled onto the couch to try and catch some much needed rest.

"I love you too baby," Tahno answered back, his voice barely above a whisper, heavy with exhaustion but with a tone of contentment all the same.

The next day went well. Tahno walked on his repaired knee with the help of a walker and made exceptional progress, but of course with Korra there to not only encourage him but to learn the physical therapy techniques so that she could utilize them herself with him. Tahno was getting twice the healing done with Nana's arrival and her gift of a thermos full of 'healing tea' that Tahno nearly spit out the moment it landed on his tongue, but he eventually managed to choke it down. Korra gave him some chocolate to get the taste out of his mouth, but she still snickered playfully at him as he shot her a small, sarcastic glare, to which she responded by sticking out her tongue.

Nana left not long after that, and while Korra was in the bathroom, Norah and Cohen came in. Korra hesitated before coming out because she was curious about what her boyfriend's rigid parents might say without knowing she was listening.

"Did Korra stay the night with you?" Norah inquired as she eyed the bag and the neatly folded bedding on one end of the couch.

"Who else would?" Tahno replied, not missing Cohen's look of disapproval.

It may have been the painkillers or the emboldening effect Korra had on him, but for once Tahno didn't feel like lying down as his father dismissed and devalued his relationship with Korra. He felt a sudden wave of protectiveness of her surge inside him, and he wasn't about to miss this opportunity to lay it all out like he wanted to.

"Do you have a problem with that, pops?" Tahno asked, keeping his face carefully neutral.

"It's a shame that tree didn't knock some respect into you," Cohen drawled flatly. "And speaking of which, how about we discuss how you recently became a tree hugger?"

Korra rolled her eyes and barely restrained an exasperated groan by trying to bite her tongue in half. Cohen really was a dick. How dare he call himself a father! He obviously didn't love his children if he treated them like this.

"Didn't I tell you, Dad? I've decided to become more connected to nature. What do you think? I was trying to win like you told me to," Tahno countered irritably.

"Well it obviously didn't work," Cohen pointed out coldly. "So, since you can no longer count on your athletic talents to help the decent schools take notice of you, we'll have to work on your intellectual ones. From this moment on, you get nothing but straight A's. Am I clear?"

"I already do," Tahno deadpanned.

"Good. Keep it that way. I would hate to see you get '_distracted'_," his father muttered, growling the last three syllables.

"What do you mean by that?" Tahno questioned.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean," Cohen replied. "A distraction that _'conveniently'_ came into your life at the worst moment possible, and that never seems to be more than an arm's length away from your wallet. She's probably the reason you crashed. What? Was she cheering you on from the sidelines and keeping you from focusing on the course?" Cohen guessed.

"No! You couldn't be any more wrong about her. I made the choice to cut through the woods against her advice not to. It was a low hanging limb that I didn't duck in time to miss that got me, and Korra isn't to blame for any of it. In fact, it was her that got me breathing again. She saved my life, and you should thank her unless you think I'm better off dead," Tahno defended.

"With a girl like her, you're already on your way to an early grave. She's reckless, chaotic, and nothing but poisonous to any hopes you have for a future," Cohen argued adamantly.

"That's enough!" Norah snapped. "You obviously don't know what you're talking about, Cohen. You could be completely wrong about her and you're assuming the worst; it could be nothing."

"Dear God, she's pulled the wool over your eyes too. I can't take any more of this. I'm getting some coffee," Cohen threw out with an exasperated sigh as he left the room.

Korra emerged from the bathroom, full of rage as she stormed after him. Norah gasped slightly at seeing Korra before turning to look accusingly at Tahno.

"Yep, Korra was in the bathroom and heard everything," he supplied with a shrug.

It took maybe seven strides to catch up to Cohen, and Korra was fully prepared to give him the ripping of his life.

"Hey, bitch!" she yelled after him.

Cohen stopped and turned to stare at the seething teenage girl with an expression that clearly stated he had never been called a bitch before.

"You have a problem with me, you tell me to my face like a man, if you can even call yourself that!" Korra growled. Screw respect, this pitiful excuse of a man didn't deserve any.

"I should have known you were eavesdropping. You seem to have a habit of ending up wherever you're not wanted," Cohen retorted as he chose to ignore her attack of his masculinity.

"What the hell is wrong with you? How dare you call yourself a father?!" she snarled as she continued her assault.

"You have no right to judge me, _little girl_," Cohen coolly replied, unimpressed by her anger.

Korra wanted to deck him, break his nose, break his face, make him hurt, bad. She balled her fists and clenched her jaw as her eyes sent daggers into his. "And you have no right to judge me and assume things about me that aren't true. Besides, I'm not the one who doesn't push my son to win 'at all costs' and swear to make his life hell as a consequence if he doesn't. YOU arethereason he RISKED HIS LIFE TO WIN. To make YOU happy!"

"I never asked him to risk his life!" Cohen thundered back.

"Yet he's an embarrassment to you if he loses! If Tahno had actually died, would you have even grieved?" Korra demanded, completely serious.

"You obviously wouldn't, you little gold digging tramp! You were already running into some other punk's arms while Tahno was in surgery," he accused her.

Korra gasped. "What?! What are you even talking about?!"

"The guy in the red scarf who was hanging all over you, you little slut!"

"Oh, fuck me," Korra muttered to herself as she groaned and ran her hands over her face in frustration.

"I'm sure he does," Cohen added as she deepened her glare at him.

"He's my friend! He's like a brother to me, and he was NOT HANGING ALL OVER ME. He never even touched me!"

"See, there you go with your lies again. I SAW HIM HUG YOU!"

"Well shit, I hugged his brother Bolin and Sasha too. I guess that means I'm having sex with all of them!" she yelled sarcastically, throwing her arms up in the air. "As God is my witness, I have ALWAYS been faithful to Tahno. There has never been anyone BUT Tahno and there will never be anyone but him either!" Korra roared back. "It doesn't matter what you say or what you do, I am not leaving him. I'm not a tramp, a gold digger, a slut, or even some evil succubus out to destroy him. What have I ever done to you? Why are you bound and determined to make an enemy of me?"

Cohen didn't say anything. He couldn't bring himself to really tell her.

"Ugh! What is it with this family and not talking about their problems?" Korra wondered out loud as she turned on her heel and started to walk back to Tahno's room.

Something inside Cohen seemed to finally snap at the comment, reminding him of so many fights he used to have with someone who looked just like her. For a moment, he was once again twenty years in the past.

"DON'T WALK AWAY FROM _ME_, SENNA!" he shouted at her departing back.

Korra froze and stiffened at being called by her mother's name. Her eyes went wide and she slowly turned to face him again. Cohen looked just as shocked as she did by the words that had just left his mouth, but he could only stand there dumbly as he watched Korra's reaction.

"Oh my God," she mumbled, shaking her head in horror as her gaze remained fixed on the blood draining from his face. "No, please. Goddamn it, no!" Korra yelled as she turned and took off down the hallway again, running passed Tahno's room as she got out her phone to call her mom.

"Shit," Cohen muttered as he looked up and suddenly noticed his wife was standing in front of him.

He had barely registered the wrath firing from her eyes when Norah pulled back her arm and slapped him hard enough to leave her hand print on his cheek.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, you fucking bastard," she hissed at him, looking as though she hadn't even begun to display her fury that after two decades, her husband still wasn't over his former flame.

* * *

_Author's notes- thank you to Alaburn for being an amazing beta, thank you to ShOrtSh4dow for creating awesome fanart. _

_Yeah...I just...don't know what to tell you...I'm just going to be over here, don't mind me. lol. _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and push us to write faster. _


	20. So That's Why

We Love the Water

Chapter 16

Tahno's mind was reeling, his heart was racing, and he had never actually felt like murdering someone until that moment. His father had officially crossed the line. Granted, he hadn't caught everything that had been said, but from what he was able to decipher and the tones being used, he managed to grasp the gist of it. Tahno had never felt this degree of outrage as he listened to his father berate and verbally abuse the girl he loved while sitting useless in the next room, unable to do anything about it. He was struggling to maneuver his heavily braced and bandaged leg out of the bed when he heard the sound of a slap as it seemed to echo in the building. His heart stopped for a moment, and then he heard his mother's infuriated voice join the commotion. What the hell was going on out there?

Tahno already knew his parents had a horrible marriage, and he was surprised they hadn't divorced by now. He used to think that they only stayed together for him and Sura, but now that he was older he knew better. It was all a sham, and their marriage was only continuing for the sake of appearances. There was no love or communication between them, and they had become strangers who were barely civil to each other most of the time. Tahno's stomach churned painfully as he came to the conclusion that it was over. He wondered who would get custody of Sura, and he was willing to bet his father didn't want any at all. He hardly paid any attention to her as it was. Tahno would have to move out now, because chances were that the house would go to his dad or be sold, and if Sura wasn't there, he had no reason to be there either. He also wondered how long the process was going to take. Weeks? Months? A year maybe? Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by an escalation in the commotion and a lot of yelling.

_'God damn it, what now_?' Tahno wondered as he tried to listen.

Senna had been working at the hospital that day, only two floors down from where Tahno's room was located. The moment she got the call from Korra, she dropped what she was doing and went off duty before making her way to the nearest elevator. While waiting for it, she listened as Korra explained everything that had happened, and Senna was starting to see red. She boarded the empty elevator and hung up seconds before it arrived on Tahno's floor and opened to reveal Cohen and Norah standing just on the other side, looking as though they were in the middle of a heated discussion.

Cohen's head was angled to the side as he spoke to his wife in an annoyed voice, "What do you expect me to do about it?"

"You!" Senna screamed as she stepped out of the elevator.

And just as Cohen turned his face in her direction, Senna launched her fist and slugged him hard in the jaw. The force at which she hit him combined with the shock, sent him reeling backwards as he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

"Don't you ever talk to my daughter like that again, you son of a bitch!" Senna shouted, her eyes blazing as she pointed a finger at his face.

Norah stood over Cohen and continued where they had left off as if he hadn't just been knocked to the ground. "What do I expect?! How about trying to be a devoted and caring husband for once in your life?!" she snapped while shoving him back down with the pointed heel of her shoe as he tried to stand. "For twenty years I have done everything to give you the 'perfect family'. Now, after all this time..." Norah couldn't even bring herself to say it, her whole body trembled as tears ran down her face. "I want a divorce," she seethed as her voice shook.

"Come on," Senna said as she wrapped an arm over Norah's shoulders to lead her away.

"No! After all these years he's still in love with you," Norah hissed as she jerked out of the other woman's hold.

"That's not my fault, Norah. I never was in love with him in the first place! I can't help it if he never let go!" Senna argued back.

21+ Years Prior…

Cohen walked up to Senna's dorm, carrying the most ridiculous bouquet of flowers he had ever seen. He had made sure to buy as many blue flowers as the florist shop had in it since it was her favorite color. It ended up being mostly hydrangeas, but he had included a few daisies as well. His high-bred nature had felt averse to spending his money on what constituted as little better than common wildflowers, but Senna had always seemed to like them. He thought they were the most boring, childish, and cheap flower in the world, and he couldn't understand why she didn't prefer roses or something with at least a hint of class. In the past, he had tried to gift her with the rarest and most exotic flowers that money could buy, but it never seemed to matter.

As he strolled through the halls of the dorm, he smirked at the little gasps and oohs and ah's coming from various open doors as he passed with the large bouquet. He walked by Norah's room and threw a brief side glance to see her studying with her classic 'Rachael' haircut framing her face nicely. She was technically more his type, tall, blonde, classy, sophisticated, and mild-mannered, but her best friend, Senna, was another creature entirely. She was wild, gorgeous, chaotic, sexy as hell, and a magnetic spitfire. She was like a drug that he found himself turning to time and time again despite himself. She made him feel alive and the colors feel brighter, making every moment spent in her company intense and addictive, even if she often made him furious with her stubbornness.

Cohen knew he had a bad temper. It seemed to be a family trait, but Senna was the only one he had ever encountered who could stand toe to toe him and fight fire with fire. The fights, like the one they had just had the day before, were loud and verbally violent, but the makeup sex was legendary and was exactly the outcome he was hoping for today. He knew they had problems, but he just couldn't bring himself to end it. This, whatever their relationship was, meant too much to him. Did it stop him from looking and flirting with other girls? No. But at the end of the day, it was Senna's side he wanted to be by, and wasn't that all that mattered? Didn't it count for anything? Senna was just being the jealous girlfriend, and she needed to get over it.

Cohen steeled his nerve as he approached her door and knocked.

"Yeah?" Senna asked from where she stewed on her bed in her Nirvana t-shirt and jeans that looked like they had been run over a few times by a military tank.

"It's me," Cohen answered.

"Go away," Senna warned as she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Senny. Don't be like that," Cohen cooed.

"I said _**go away**_. I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you. I said it's over and I meant it, so _**go the fuck away**_," she growled from behind the door, still refusing to get up.

"But you're talking to me now, and besides, you know you can't stay mad at me forever. I said I was sorry, baby, so come on and open the door. You know you want to see me," he argued arrogantly, a victorious grin spreading over his face as he heard the sound of her huffing and walking toward the door.

She swung it open and fixed him with a hard glare as she stood firmly in the doorway.

"Here, I'm sorry," Cohen murmured, his features softening as he handed her the bouquet.

Senna reluctantly took the flowers, the ice melting from her eyes slightly as she looked them over, especially the daisies. At least he remembered she loved daisies, and that was a little progress.

"Cohen, why do you do this? You can't fix every mistake you make with flowers," she replied somberly.

"You're right. There's always chocolate, jewelry, romantic getaways..." Cohen listed sardonically but with a charming grin nonetheless.

"Or heartfelt apologies and promises to never repeat the behavior that got you in trouble in the first place_**, not to mention actually keeping them**_," Senna bit back, her determined glare returning.

"I said I was sorry," Cohen tried to reason.

"But do you actually mean it? Are you actually sorry that you had your tongue down another girl's throat while your hands were on her ass, or are you just sorry you got caught?" Senna questioned.

"Look, I had been drinking and it just... happened, and it shouldn't have. I really am sorry, and I promise it will never happen again," he tried to soothe her.

Senna looked him over warily. It was the most sincere apology she had ever heard out of his mouth, and she had heard a lot of them. He had even made an effort to keep eye contact this time, but the common sense part of her brain was screaming at her to remain firm in her refusal to take him back. This was a pattern for him, and, in all honesty, things would probably never change with him. She deserved better. She deserved someone who would only have eyes for her. Cohen was rich enough to buy her anything she wanted, but he still never gave her the one thing she needed: his unconditional love. He was always reminding her of her bad eating habits, saying that she needed to keep an eye on her figure, and she never seemed to be able to dress nice enough for him. Even when they were just hanging out, it was like he expected her to get all dolled up and dressed to the nines, like she constantly needed to prove she was worth keeping around, as if at any moment a more beautiful girl would come along and steal him away.

But on the flip side, when she did seem to have his undivided attention, no matter how briefly, it lit her up and gave her the most incredible high. And the sex was out of this world. He knew exactly what got her hot and bothered and how to make her feel amazing. He was familiar with every inch of her body and could work it like a well-oiled machine. Being with him like that was like being at war and yet in perfect harmony at the same time. There was a connection between them that was stronger than anything she had ever felt, but it only formed when they were in bed together, and in those moments, the world fell away and it was just the two of them in the universe. It was beyond reason or control. It was damned and divine, and it was almost worth putting up with the crappy state of all the other aspects of their relationship. Almost.

"Cohen, this is a pattern for you, for us. We fight over the stupidest shit all the time, and either I break up with you or you break up with me, then we make up again within a matter of days and things are great for another few weeks, until your wandering eyes lead you off again or we fight AGAIN. I can't keep doing this, Cohen. I just can't," Senna stated firmly, ignoring the tears in her eyes as she handed the flowers back. She felt like her heart was breaking again, but she knew it was for the best.

Cohen frowned as he took the flowers back and looked her over carefully. "No," he countered obstinately as he dropped them and reached out to kiss her fiercely. She was going to take him back, she HAD to. He needed her to take him back.

Senna tried to pull away. She tried to hit him in the chest, but he held her firmly in his arms and before he knew it she was kissing back, fisting her hands into his shirt as their lips tangled together in a chaotic frenzy. He knew he would win her back. He finally eased up his hold on her a little to shut and lock the door behind him as he walked them over to the bed, discarding their shirts as they went. He nipped at a spot on her collar bone that elicited a gasp and grinned. He knew her all too well.

"Oh, Henny," Senna breathed, savoring the feeling of his chest against hers. Of his heart beating next to hers as if they were syncing up to beat together as one like they always did in times like this.

His hands were everywhere, his mouth was at a pulse point, sucking hard before biting down and causing her hips to jump and grind against his. His hands slid and kneaded down her back to her hips as he pulled her impossibly close to himself. He secretly congratulated himself on winning her back as he kissed her again like a man starved, swallowing her moans and whimpers. He was about to undo her pants when Senna's common sense suddenly seemed to hit her in the head with an iron rod. She gasped again, but this time in panic instead of passion. Her eyes cleared of the glazed lust as she realized what she was doing and remembered the promise she had made to herself to never fall into this same trap again. The pleasure would only last while they were in the moment, and then she would go right back to feeling worthless, empty, and used once it was over. She shoved against him as hard as she could.

Cohen looked startled for a moment as he stumbled backwards, but a wicked grin slid over his features almost instantly. "Oh, we're going for the rough and tumble kind this time? Fine with me," he purred as he strutted over to her, reestablishing their closeness as Senna put her hands up and shoved him away again, her scowl returning.

"No, I said I'm not doing this anymore. You can't fix this with sex either. I'm not taking you back, we're not getting back together, we are _done_, Cohen. Finished, and I mean it," Senna said resolutely as she picked up their shirts, tossing his at him and putting her own back on. "Leave," she demanded as she pointed at the door.

"You're serious?" Cohen asked.

"As a heart attack. Now go!" Senna reiterated, her resolve strengthening by the minute.

"You'll regret this, Senna. This won't be the last time we see each other," Cohen retorted as he pulled his shirt back on.

"Actually, it probably will be. I'm leaving in a few days, and I'll be gone for the rest of the school year, if not longer."

"Sure you are, and just where are you going?" he questioned her lazily, but feeling a small prick of apprehension regardless.

"Never mind where. It'll be too far away for you to try to come after me, and for once I'm not coming back to you," Senna responded vaguely but with the same immovable willfulness.

He recognized the look in her eyes as being the same one she used whenever she followed through on a promise, and alarms started going off in his head. His possessiveness of her rose up suddenly, and he wasn't about to let her forget what she was threatening to give up for good.

"You can't go anywhere. You belong to me. The kind of passion we share is the kind everyone dreams of having but hardly ever find," he uttered in a deadly serious whisper.

"Misguided people, maybe," she answered just as severely. "The passion you're talking about is based on anger, you at my stubbornness and me at your arrogance and selfishness."

"So what, as long as it works! That's what makes us so amazing."

"NO. I don't WANT to be angry all the time, Cohen! I can't live like that! If I'm not angry, then I'm miserable and heartbroken. Sometimes I'm all of them at once. And you're wrong, I don't belong to you. You don't own me. No one ever will." Senna adamantly argued as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Whatever, you know I'll be just fine without you. I don't need you. You were lucky to have me in your life," Cohen sneered. "You won't last a week without me. You never do," he added as he opened the door and kicked the flowers aside before storming down the hallway.

Two days later, Cohen was regretting the things he had said to Senna and returned to her dorm, this time not carrying anything, because he was going to prove that they could work this out without any tricks, gimmicks, or distractions. But Senna's door was standing wide open when he walked up to it. All her stuff was gone and her bed was bare.

"Where's Senna?" Cohen asked one of her dorm mates as she passed by.

"Oh, she left. She's going to Alaska to do a field study, I think."

"When did she leave?" he demanded, his heart thudding with panic.

"Umm, like, a couple of hours ago. Norah drove her to the airport," the girl answered. "I think you could still catch her though if you hurry."

Cohen didn't bother expressing his thanks. He turned and fled out of the building and raced his car to the airport. He barely managed to get it parked before running inside, his panic dumping adrenaline into his system. He couldn't lose her. She was the best thing in his life, she was the reason he got out of bed most mornings. His eyes searched frantically for her and began shouting her name when he didn't find her, waiting to see her face turn to the sound of his voice. His heart soared as her face finally appeared in a line to go through security. He ran faster than he had ever run in his life to get to her, and she observed him distrustfully as she held onto the satchel sling around her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in annoyance, trying to cover the slight fear that he was going to make a scene at her expense, again.

"You can't go to Alaska. You can't leave me, Senny. I love you. I'm sorry I was a jerk, an ass, and I swear on my life I will never cheat on you again. I'll treat you like a queen, just please don't leave me. I am so, so sorry, Senny. Please forgive me and come back. Don't go," Cohen pleaded in a rush, tempted to get on his knees to show how deeply sorry he really was.

"Cohen, I can't. I told you, it's over, we're done. You blew it. I have to do what's best for me, and having you in my life is not it. You say these things now but I sincerely doubt you would live by them."

"But-"

"But nothing, Cohen."

"At least call me Henny," he begged, needing to hear it as much as he hoped it would trigger some sort of emotion or regret in her.

"No. Those are just pet names we used for each other, but I'm not yours and you're not mine. You proved that with your actions, no matter what lies come out of your mouth... you aren't my pet or my love," Senna spoke earnestly. Her voice wavered slightly, but she pushed through. "_You never were_. Goodbye, Cohen Malek," she said sadly as she turned and walked through security, her head held high, never turning to look back.

Cohen stared after her until she turned and disappeared from sight. He stood there and watched the plane take off, still imagining that she might come running back into his arms, declaring that she couldn't do it, that she couldn't leave him, that she loved him as much as he loved her, that they were never going to break up or get separated again. In his fantasy, he asked her to marry him, she said yes, and they lived happily ever after and everything was fine. Everything would be _perfect_. He would have the _perfect_ family, the _perfect_ life, just like he always wanted.

But she didn't come back. He even waited for another few hours, his eyes still searching, being too stubborn himself to give up on his dream, but eventually he did. He walked numbly back to his car where he broke down and cried. He didn't care who could see him. He just lost the love of his life. He just lost the best thing that ever happened to him because he hadn't appreciated her. He hated that the saying was true, 'you don't know what you have until it's gone'.

Senna's plane landed in the Anchorage Airport, and she deplaned in a remarkably good mood. Senna had spent the first half of the flight crying what had felt like the last tears she had for Cohen, and during the second half, she seemed to make peace with the whole situation. A soothing calmness enveloped her and she welcomed it fully. She was retrieving her luggage when a large man suddenly bumped into her.

"I'm so sorry, Miss," he said in apology as he made sure he hadn't hurt her. He was a bear of a man and didn't know his own strength sometimes.

"No, it's okay. I wasn't looking where I..." Senna tried to reply as her eyes landed on his broad chest, then inched up to meet his face. His very handsome, sexy as sin face that looked as innocent as the day was long in an Alaskan summer. "…Was going," Senna managed to finish as she continued to stare at him, slack jawed. He was so tall, broad, solid, and tan. '_Must be an Inuit thing_,' she reasoned to herself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked her carefully as looked her over with genuine concern.

"Yeah… I'm good," Senna answered, nodding her head slowly in confirmation.

"I'm Tonraq," he said as he offered her his hand.

"Hi, I'm Senna," she replied with a bright smile as she shook his hand, feeling butterflies take off in her stomach when she became locked in his kind, warm gaze.

At the sound of her name and the touch of her soft hand in his large, rough one, Tonraq curled his fingers gently around hers as a dazed smile caused his cheeks to lift and his eyes to crinkle.

"Nice to meet you," they voiced together.

Several months later…

Senna woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of her phone ringing. She untangled herself from Tonraq and got up to stumble blearily across the room to answer it.

"Hello?" she greeted groggily.

"Senna? It's me Norah. I have some fantastic news! Co asked me to marry him!" Norah squealed.

"What? I didn't even know you guys were dating," Senna responded, the fog of sleep evaporating quickly.

"Yes you did! After you left, he was an absolute wreck, and _I_ put him back together, thank you very much," Norah stated pointedly.

"Norah, we've been over this..." Senna tried to reason, but Norah wasn't hearing any of it.

"Look, Senna, Co is a changed man. He doesn't cheat on me, we never fight, and he loves me and he treats me like a queen."

"Well I'm happy for you, but are you sure we are talking about the same guy? That doesn't sound like Cohen, or at least the Cohen I knew," Senna retorted.

"The Cohen you knew is gone. You killed him when you left, and the new Co is everything I have ever wanted."

"So when he asks you to jump, you ask how high?" Senna asked.

"Not all of us are extreme feminists like you, Senna," Norah snapped suddenly. "Some of us like the man in charge and taking care of everything. It makes my life simple and happy, and you know what? Co is happy too. He is the happiest I have ever seen him, even when he was with you," she pointed out snidely.

Senna stood wordlessly in shock, not knowing what to say in response to her normally sweet friend's outburst. She heard what sounded like a regretful sigh on the other end of the line before Norah continued, "Look, the main reason I called was to ask a favor of you. I don't want you to come to the wedding."

"What?! Why?" Senna demanded.

"Because I don't trust you two together! And when I walk down the aisle, I need to be _sure_ that Cohen will be at the end of it, waiting for me, not making eyes at you or trying to get you to run away with him. He is marrying _**me**_," Norah bit out.

"So let me get this straight, you're so sure and confident that he loves you and only you that you don't want me around just in case you're wrong?" Senna asked.

"Well it's happened before, hasn't it? I swear, Senna, if our friendship has ever meant anything to you, you will stay away from me and my husband, and you will leave us alone and let us live our lives in peace," Norah said adamantly.

Senna's tears were streaming down her face as she couldn't believe what her friend, her supposed best friend, was saying to her. "You know, I understand why you're worried about all that. I was always afraid of him leaving me for someone else when we were together, and that was what finally woke me up. If you really doubt Cohen's ability to stay faithful to you, then please, _please_ think about what you're doing," Senna begged as she fought to keep her voice from choking up.

"I don't need your advice, Senna. I just want you to stay away from us," Norah muttered coldly.

"Fine. If that's what'll make you happy, I will stay away. I'll do whatever you want. You were always like a sister to me, and I wish more than anything that none of this had ever happened."

"Me too. Thank you, goodbye." Norah clipped, hanging up before Senna could say another word.

Present...

"I did what you asked me to do, Norah. I stayed away. I stayed as far away as I could. I got on with my life and left you alone even though you were my best friend and it killed me that we had been torn apart. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life, but if it meant that you were happy then it was worth it," Senna worded forcefully.

Norah rolled her eyes before tearing back into Senna, "And I suppose you were thinking about my happiness when you started screwing the man you _knew_ I had my heart set on!"

"I know I've said this a thousand times and it doesn't make any difference, but I'm _so_ sorry. I was an idiot for going out with him and losing your friendship is the biggest regret of my life," Senna stressed vehemently as she felt her prior rage melt out of her. "I thought I loved him, but it was never real."

"You're right, it doesn't make any difference. You're the same now as you were in college; desperate to be the center of attention no matter what it costs you," Norah bit out as she spun on her heel and began striding away down another hallway.

Senna walked after her, calling her name as they left Cohen behind and remained oblivious to the various hospital staff and visitors standing around and watching the interchange in astonishment. Korra had been far off to the side, having arrived just in time to catch the end of the argument between her and Tahno's mothers. She edged away as Cohen began rising to his feet and turned to go back to Tahno's room.

She stepped quietly inside and closed the door behind her as she caught him in the middle of trying to stand up with the help of his walker. He raised his head to look at her and settled back onto the mattress as he took in the strange mix of emotions on her face.

"Where is he?" Tahno demanded as he set his jaw and stared intensely at her. "What the hell was going on out there and why'd you let me sit here in the dark for so long? I'm a fucking cripple in case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten," she responded flatly as she remained standing by the door.

Tahno watched her speak as her chin began to tremble and instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I just… what happened?"

"I found out why your dad hates me," Korra mumbled darkly as she crossed her arms and dropped her eyes to the floor. "A long time ago, when they were in college, my mom and your dad used to… Oh God, I can't even say it."

Tahno's eyes widened in horror. "No," he whispered as she nodded in confirmation of the ugly truth.

He didn't want to believe it, but something in his mind clicked in place as he realized it explained so much. Everything his father had ever said about Korra and her family, her mother in particular, suddenly made sense. How had he not figured this out before? He looked at Korra who was trying to come to terms with it herself and worried that her fight or flight response might kick in again if she got panicked by the whole disturbing situation. Tahno decided that he didn't care what happened in the past, and he would be damned if he let history repeat itself.

"My mom and your parents have been standing out in the lobby screaming at each other, and now they've all left. I don't know where they are and I don't care," she confessed as her shoulders slumped despairingly.

"Come here," Tahno called out softly, holding up his arm slightly to beckon her into his embrace.

She came and sat down as she clung to him, holding onto the only grounding force she had at the moment while her world spun around her.

"I'm sorry," Tahno whispered somberly in her ear as he squeezed her just a little harder. "But I don't care what happened in the past. We're not them, and whatever happened between them doesn't change how I feel about you. How I will always feel about you."

He settled his forehead against the top of her head and ran a soothing hand up and down her back as a few tears leaked out of her eyes and stained his hospital clothes. With each one his anger deepened. Anger at his father, at the stupid mistake that had landed him here, at the big, heavy and bulky brace on his leg and the I.V.s running through him, and at everything that had happened to reduce Korra to tears as she sat huddled in this hospital room with him. He had no business bringing someone so full of light and inner beauty into the dark hell hole that was his life and family. Especially not Korra. How could he claim to love her while he was pulling her even further in?

"Why did this have to happen?" she muttered against his chest. "What I would give for us to have parents who didn't use to date each other, among other things. And what if we're bound to make the same mistake they did? Whatever it was."

"Korra," Tahno murmured as he moved his hands to hold her face so he could look at her clearly. "There's no reason why we wouldn't work, especially not because of them. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. You literally saved my life, and I'm not about to let you go, no matter how selfish that may make me. I'm not saying we'll never have problems or fights, but you can be damned sure I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. We'll always work it out, I promise."

Korra looked back at him and felt her worry dissipating at the conviction stamped on his face and resonating from his voice, but there was also something else in his eyes. Something he was holding back from her and that made some of the uneasiness return. She surmised that he must be feeling as shaken as she was and needed comfort too.

"I love you," Korra breathed earnestly as she touched a hand to his cheek.

"I love you too, and I'm so sorry my dad went ballistic on you. If I could stand up I wouldn't have let him talk to you like that."

Korra shook her head dismissively. "I know, but don't worry about it, okay?"

Instead of answering, Tahno took the opportunity to grasp her chin softly and pull her in to kiss her. Korra deepened the kiss almost instantly as her arms wrapped around his neck and shoulders and pulled him against her. That familiar ache began returning with a vengeance, but Tahno couldn't help but wince and hiss in pain at the particular spots Korra chose to touch, and Korra forced herself to pull back and relinquish her efforts.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Korra apologized and watched anxiously as Tahno take a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"No, I'm sorry. The spirit is willing but the flesh is bruised and spongy," Tahno joked darkly in an attempt to make her feel better.

Korra let out a sudden trickle of laughter. "Where did you even get that from? Is that like a line from a movie or what?"

"I don't know, but are you okay now?" Tahno asked grimly as he held her hand inside his.

"Yeah," Korra replied with a nod as she squeezed.

Suddenly, a couple of nurses entered the room announcing it was time for Tahno to get a sponge bath.

"If you don't mind, I think I'm just gonna head home and get cleaned up myself," Korra informed Tahno, not knowing if she could handle seeing his body covered in bruises, cuts, and stitches.

"No, go ahead" Tahno assured her as he nodded understandingly.

"You want me to do your laundry from the resort?" she offered helpfully.

"That would be great, thanks," Tahno said with a half-hearted smile.

"Okay, you're welcome," Korra responded as she bit her lip uncertainly. "I'll see you in a little bit, alright, Pretty Boy?" she said in farewell as she picked up both their bags and left him under the nurses' care.

Her parents had brought her jeep over to the hospital yesterday, and she was grateful for the chance to escape. After throwing the bags in the backseat, she gunned it home, feeling some of the stress peel away as she drove. She started on the laundry as soon as she stepped inside her house, stopping to hold one of Tahno's shirts to her face for a moment to inhale his scent as the memories of their time together at the resort all came back in a rush. And all at once she wanted him, _needed_ him so badly it hurt. It was a cruel joke that she finally experienced the greatest joy in life only to have it taken away from her.

She slumped down to the floor and tucked her knees to her chest as she squeezed his shirt with her hands until it made her fingers sore. She felt the heated tears coming again and didn't really know which source was causing them this time as she let them loose into the wadded up fabric. A wet nose and warm breath prodded at her arm, and she looked up to see Naga's sad, furry face regarding her with a whine. Korra uncurled herself only to wrap her arms around Naga and cry into her soft, white, fluffy fur as the dog nuzzled back into her, listening sympathetically as Korra told her everything. Naga ended up laying down on the floor and rolling onto her back, kicking her legs around happily as Korra rubbed her belly and laughed. Feeling better, Korra stood up and finished putting the clothes in the washer before trudging upstairs to get a much needed shower.

She couldn't help but recall what happened the last time she was in a shower. She had barely gotten clean before Tahno had pushed her up against the tiles again, his hands roving, groping, and exploring every inch of her body as his mouth swallowed each moan and cry of pleasure she made before his mouth latched onto her jaw, ear, and neck, making it hard for her to breathe. She had given up on coherent thought hours ago and was simply along for the ride while trying to give as good as she got. He seemed to know how her body worked better than she did and managed to pull all the awkwardness out of it and leave behind nothing but pure, unadulterated passion that she found herself willfully drowning in almost constantly.

Korra blew out a cleansing breath as she came down from her orgasm and opened her eyes to find that she had sat down on the small bench in her shower and had pleasured herself to the memories of her and Tahno. And while she felt better, it just wasn't the same and not nearly enough. However, it was probably as good as it was going to get for a while until Tahno was healed enough for that kind of 'activity' again. In the back of her mind she knew she should be a bit unnerved that he was _that good _at sex. She wondered if he really had had enough to simply be that experienced, or if he just had a natural talent for it. Hell, he might as well be a sex god, but mostly she was just grateful for it. She rolled her eyes at herself as she finished her shower and thought of all the little 'fantasies' she used to have. They were nothing like the real thing, not even close. Then the thought crossed her mind of what sex would be like with anyone else and she instantly shuddered and berated herself for thinking such a thing. She honestly detested the idea of having sex with ANYONE other than Tahno. It was unthinkable for her to do so and she found herself getting insanely jealous of the two girls he had been with before her.

She got dressed and went downstairs to move the now clean laundry to the dryer, choosing to go ahead and fold the load of towels that had been in the dryer previously as it gave her the opportunity to keep her hands busy and mind occupied until she could go back to the hospital. Soon her father came through the door and was surprised to see his daughter at home.

"Is that my piujuq paniq?" Tonraq called out with a grin.

Korra smiled brightly at the term of endearment. "Love you too, Dad," Korra replied as she abandoned the laundry to go and hug her father tightly.

"I didn't expect you to come home this soon. Is everything alright?" Tonraq asked as he hugged her back.

Korra took a deep breath and sighed. "No," she admitted.

"What's wrong?"

"Cohen's an ass," she answered bluntly, then looked as her father's usually pleasant expression turned serious and morph into something even Korra found unsettling.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice low and deliberate while his eyes narrowed slightly.

Korra gulped and told her father everything that had happened at the hospital. By the time she was finished, Senna came home and looked like she had been through hell. Her husband came over and hugged her too.

"Do I need to kill him?" Tonraq muttered into her ear.

Senna smiled before huffing out a laugh and shaking her head a little. "No. I take it Korra told you what happened."

"I still need to know what happened from your end," he clarified as his wife groaned and dropped her head against his chest and snuggled into his large, protective arms as he held her securely to himself, shielding her from what troubled her.

In Korra's opinion, her mother had a lot of explaining to do, and she couldn't help but feel a little irked at her at the moment, but she decided explanations could wait. "Yeah, I'm just gonna get my stuff and leave you two to uh... work this out," Korra said as she excused herself to the laundry room to pull out the now dry clothes, not even bothering to separate or fold them before stuffing them back into the bags along with some other sets of clothes she had brought from upstairs as she left the house.

She decided to grab some takeout on her way back to the hospital, and then reentered Tahno's room to find him talking on the phone to someone, sounding both exasperated and exhausted. She smiled at him and set down the food on his tray table and brought the bags to the couch, deciding to take the opportunity to unpack and organize as he finished his conversation. He did shortly and ran a hand through his clean yet unkempt hair tiredly as he smiled back at her.

"Sorry about that, Pretty Girl. Couldn't wait," Tahno grumbled, then gazed longingly at the food she brought. "You're a life savior, by the way. I think this place is trying to kill me with the stuff that passes for food around here."

"No problem. So who was it anyway?" Korra asked, sitting carefully on the bed next to him as they dug into the takeout.

"One of the music executives I work with is upset that I'm going to be out of the picture for a few months, but he'll get over it," Tahno explained as he popped a dumpling into his mouth.

"But won't that affect your livelihood?" Korra inquired.

"Eh, not really. The group he wanted to collaborate with is going nowhere fast, so if anything I'm being saved from working with idiots. So don't worry about it, I'm fine. It's not like I have a mortgage or anything like that," he assured her as he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

Korra snuggled into him and laid her head on his shoulder. "If you say so," she muttered. "So how was your sponge bath?"

"Oh, it's my new favorite thing. Having two middle aged women awkwardly wash my entire body in the harshest soap known to mankind while trying to make small talk is all the rage now, didn't you know that?" Tahno replied sarcastically with an exaggerated eye roll.

"I'm going to have to remember that so when you get home I can recreate that experience for you," Korra countered with a grin.

"Okay, but where are you going to find the middle aged women?" he quipped teasingly.

"Hell, I'll get you a couple of _really_ old women. You'd be surprised at how much my Nana would be willing to do. She would probably get her bingo buddies together, although Nana would need more than two. I'm thinking six, six really old, wrinkly, horny women holding little sponges, rubbing in small circles... " Korra rejoined quickly, laughing at the mortified expression on Tahno's face.

"Why six?" Tahno asked, fearful of the answer as Korra grinned wickedly and Tahno began to wish he had never asked.

"Well, one for each arm and one for each of either your _**two heads**_ or _**three legs**_, whichever euphemism you prefer," Korra answered with a wink that had Tahno smirking and shaking his head in amusement. "You know all you have to do is say word and my Nana would be here in a heartbeat," she said as she began laughing light-heartedly at his obvious revulsion to the idea.

"Good to see you're feeling better," Tahno noted with a lifted eyebrow. "What'd you do between the time you left and came back?"

"Just played with Naga, talked to my dad, took a shower, that kind of stuff," Korra tried to answer nonchalantly.

"Hmm, must have been a really nice shower," he mused casually.

"I guess…" Korra muttered as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"Who were you thinking about?"

"What?!"

"While you were in the shower, who'd you think about? I've gotten to know Korra's 'happy' face pretty well over the past couple of days." Tahno pointed out with a smug expression.

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Korra argued as she looked at everything in the room but him and tried to stuff her mouth so she couldn't answer any more questions.

"Come on, you can tell me, I'll bet he was hot," Tahno furthered and smiled wider as she blushed deeper. "Or was it a _**she**_?" Tahno mused.

Now it was Korra's turn to look mortified. "It was not a _she_," Korra insisted but not say anything else.

"Was it Mako?" Tahno questioned, his tone slightly joking but his narrowed eyes giving away his jealousy.

"No," Korra confirmed, causing Tahno to relax and continue with his 'investigation'.

"Was it me?" Tahno confidently asked, wanting to hear her admit it.

"It was someone who looks a lot like you," Korra responded with a secret smile, knowing that she was getting to him. "He's tall, dark, handsome, famous, and I only have ears for him," Korra hinted and regarded Tahno's curious yet hesitant expression. "Casper Denali," Korra finally admitted which got Tahno to smile so brightly she thought she might go blind.

"Thought so," Tahno countered as he hugged her close and kissed her again before continuing to eat their dinner in peace and relaxation.

They spent the rest of the evening together without any appearances from either of their family members. They hadn't forgotten about the many issues at hand, but they just chose not to bring it up so that they could have one night of peace before it was all inevitably brought back to the forefront.

* * *

_Author's notes- _

_Thank you so much to Alaburn for beta-ing, you wonderful woman you. Thank you to ShOrtSh4dow for being our guinea pig for most of this. We torment you way too much and we're sorry. (not really, we know you love it) _

_Things you should know, Piujuq Paniq- is Inuit for pretty/beautiful daughter. _

_In case things are still unclear- Norah and Senna were BFF"s in college, Cohen came along, dated Norah then dumped Norah for Senna. Norah always felt Senna stole Cohen away when it really was just Cohen following his dick to greener pastures. _

_If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know and I will be happy to explain things. _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and push us to write faster (seriously they do, it's the best motivation on the planet. Oh and I should point out. whoever is fortunate enough to have the 100th review, will get a surprise. ) _


	21. Back At The Malek Residence

Chapter 17

Tahno was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon, the large, bulky brace still encasing his leg. It was hospital policy to wheel the discharged out on a wheel chair, so Korra carried his crutches that he would be using to get around once he was off hospital property. It had been a difficult week for all of them, while Tahno made magnificent progress physically, astounding not only his doctors and nurses but his physical and occupational therapists as well, emotionally it was a different story all together. Cohen never came back to see his son in the hospital, and he never bothered to call or text him either. It wasn't like Tahno wanted to see him after what had gone down earlier, and he knew that his father's absence was more conducive to a peaceful atmosphere, but Tahno still felt an unexplainable resentment towards his apparent willingness to ignore him. Tahno was just grateful Korra was there, helping him through everything.

Norah brought her car to the hospital to drive both Tahno and Korra to the Malek estate. It had been arranged for Korra to spend the remainder of winter break in their house to help Tahno recuperate and to assist in following the list of instructions his doctor and physical therapist had compiled for him. It was a slightly awkward situation as Tahno's parents were feeling as callous as ever toward Korra's family, but neither of them had the time to take care of him, especially now that the proceedings of their divorce were officially underway. Norah had suggested hiring a live-in nurse to help Tahno with his recovery, but he refused pointblank in favor of Korra's readiness to stay with him. Norah didn't have the heart to ignore her injured son's wishes, so she allowed for Korra to stay in one their guestrooms after Korra cleared it with her parents.

The drive to the Malek's house was quiet with Tahno propped up in the backseat and his tall form taking up the whole row, forcing Korra to sit up front. Norah was by no means being rude to Korra, but rather much more stiff and formal than before, if that was even possible. Once they made it to the house, Korra started to help Tahno get out of the car, but then stood back and rolled her eyes as he waved her off and struggled to do it all on his own. A few painstaking minutes later, they were all inside with their bags from the hospital, and they barely had the door closed against the biting December air, when suddenly a small blur came flying out of nowhere and became plastered to Tahno's side.

"Sura, no sweetheart!" Norah shrilled in horror. "Tahno can't hold you right now!"

Fortunately, the five year old had tackled his right side instead of his left, and Tahno had managed to grit his teeth and swallow the burst of pain without collapsing to the floor. "It's alright, Mom," he uttered with a grimace as Norah began prying the little girl's surprisingly strong hands away from Tahno's shirt while Korra helped steady him.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Malek!" Hannah flustered as she came trotting around the corner with her hand on her chest. "She'd been glued to the window ever since I mentioned her brother was coming home today, and that was three hours ago. Then she was off like a rocket before I even realized you had come through the door."

Tahno chuckled a little despite the painful way he had been greeted. "Did you miss me or something, Princess?" he inquired as Sura now stood still as a statue as she let her mother hold her hand while she stared with wide eyes at the thick bindings around his left leg and the metal crutches he was using to support himself.

"Did she miss you? Good heavens, you should have seen the state she was in," Hannah exclaimed as she gestured emphatically with her hands. "It was bad enough the first night you didn't come home, but after that, the house never saw a moment of peace except when she had exhausted herself from throwing fits."

Tahno jerked his eyes concernedly at his mother. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

Norah seemed to appear a little guilty as she averted her gaze. "Oh, I didn't want to put any more strain on you, and it really hasn't been all that bad anyway," she finished as she glared pointedly at Hannah, who promptly dropped her eyes to the floor and didn't say another word.

After that, Norah insisted on getting Tahno situated so he could rest, despite his arguments that he'd already had enough rest to make him sick. But then she had to step out of the room to take a phone call, leaving Korra to carry bags as she followed Tahno's slow, awkward progress up the stairs. Once they reached the top and began making their way down the long hallway, Tahno stopped and opened a door, then stepped back so that Korra could go in before him.

"I think this is the room Mom wants you to stay in," he said as Korra entered the spotless and well decorated guestroom.

She walked over and dumped her bag on the bed as Tahno limped a few steps in behind her. "Will it be alright?" he asked as he carefully watched her observing the room.

"Of course it will," she answered in surprise. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I just want to make sure you'll at least be comfortable physically, since I can't promise the rest of your stay here will be pleasant. It's going to be weird and kind of… tense with, you know… my parents," Tahno related dejectedly, scowling at the wall. "You shouldn't be here. This is your winter break; you should be having fun and spending time with your family, not cooped up in with an invalid."

Korra sighed as she approached him, then laid her hand against his cheek as she replied, "I'm here because I want to be. Don't you know by now that I'm the last person in the world you need to feel sorry for? If I don't like my circumstances, you can bet your ass I won't put up with them for long. So don't even think about asking me to leave, okay?"

Tahno's lips quirked a little as he looked down into her earnest eyes. "Don't worry. I probably couldn't ask you to leave anyway. I'm too selfish."

"How bad do you think it'll get with your parents?"

"It's hard to know for sure, and it kind of depends on how angry they are verses how badly they want everything to appear as normal as possible. For all I know, they may even call the divorce off just for the sake of their reputations."

"I don't know, Tahno. I saw them fight in the hospital, and it was scary how furious your mother looked. I thought she was going to rip his throat out."

"How's it going in here, you two?" Norah inquired brightly as she suddenly popped in the room unexpectedly.

Korra jumped and stepped back as she blushed uncomfortably at the woman's timing.

"Everything's fine. I was just showing Korra her room," Tahno explained.

"Good. I just wanted to tell you that I have to leave for a few hours, but I'll be back later tonight. Also, Hannah's had a rough few days, so I went ahead and let her have the rest of the night off. Sura's already had her dinner and bath, although I don't think she ate very much. In fact, she hasn't been cooperating hardly at all this week, and her poor nanny is so frazzled, I'm surprised she's held up this long. Anyway, do you think you could manage to make sure she gets to bed on time? She's playing in her room right now, and I think she's calmed down quite a bit now that you're back home."

Tahno nodded. "Sure, I'll get her in her bed. But what about… you know… Dad?" he asked cautiously.

Norah's brow furrowed as the rest of her face went stony. "What about him?" she clipped abruptly.

"I mean is he going to be here or what?"

His mother's lips thinned before she answered, "I can't say for certain. I imagine he'll be coming and going."

"So nothing's changed?" he furthered as he stared intently at her.

"One of us will let you know once anything definite has been planned, but right now I really need to get going. Make sure our guest has everything she needs," Norah finished as she nodded tightly in Korra's direction, and then she left with a swish of her skirt.

Tahno and Korra stood in silence for a moment before Korra finally hitched his bags back on her shoulder and said, "Well, let's get your stuff put up in your room, okay?"

Tahno didn't voice a response but just exited the room and walked further down the hallway with Korra right behind him, the sound of his crutches being the only noise either of them could hear. He stopped at his bedroom door and went in, stopping to switch on the light before making way for Korra to enter. She sidled in and gently set his luggage down by his dresser, then turned back to face him. Tahno closed the door slowly and then let one of his crutches fall to the ground as he used his now free arm to wrap around Korra's waist and pull her into him. She held his face between her hands as he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her slow and deep. He pulled away a few moments later and rested his forehead against hers, keeping his eyes closed as he sighed roughly.

"No matter how morose I may seem, just know I'm _really_ glad you're here," he whispered.

"Me too," Korra assured him as she allowed him to hold her for as long as he wanted. "Do you need more pain meds yet?"

Tahno pulled away from her suddenly. "No, I'm fine," he answered briskly while pivoting in the opposite direction.

"What are you doing?" Korra asked as he hobbled to his desk and sat down to turn on his computer.

"You have no idea how many emails I have to answer," he explained as the screen lit up.

"Really? This close to Christmas?"

"Business never rests," he replied drolly.

"Okay, well I'm going to be figuring out a schedule for your physical therapy exercises and stuff," Korra informed him as she searched through the bags until she located the papers with the therapy information. "Just let me know when you're ready for the next pill," she told him as he mumbled in acknowledgment.

An hour whittled away in relative silence as Korra sat cross-legged on Tahno's large bed, studying the instructions on the papers and making notes while Tahno tapped at his keyboard, sighing in annoyance every so often. They both looked up suddenly when the door opened and swung forward to reveal Sura, dressed in her pajamas and holding onto the purple dupatta Korra had once given her.

"Sorry, Sura. I almost forgot your bedtime," Tahno said as he struggled to stand up.

Korra winced in empathy as she saw his face screw up in pain, then she walked over to get his other crutch for him along with his next dose of pain medication. She put the small, white pill in his palm and watched as he swallowed it resignedly and then head off to lead Sura back to her bedroom.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said over his shoulder.

Korra took the opportunity to run over to her room to change into her own flannel pajamas and get ready for bed. When she returned to Tahno's room, he still hadn't come back yet, so she began unpacking his bags and tossing dirty clothes into the hamper. Tahno reappeared a few minutes later, but with a still wide-awake Sura tagging along behind him. However, she was now carrying what seemed to be a large storybook in one hand and a stuffed rabbit in the other, her dupatta draped over her head since her arms were full.

"Well that didn't work out," Tahno muttered tiredly as he trudged over to a complicated looking stereo mounted on his wall and slid a CD into the disc holder. "I hope you don't mind, Sura is going to hang out with us for a while."

"Of course I don't mind. Come on, Sura. What have you got for us?" Korra replied as she helped the little girl up onto the giant bed. "You want me to read your story to you?"

"You sure you want to? Once you start she may never let you stop," Tahno commented as he adjusted the volume of the music now coming out of the speakers.

"Yes, I'm sure. I happen to be an expert story reader and I do awesome voices. What CD are you playing? Did you make this?" she asked interestedly as her ears perked up to the soft and intricate sounding melody.

"Yeah. Sura has trouble sleeping a lot, so I experimented with some different sounds until I came up with something she really seemed to like. Now she won't go to sleep without it. I'm going to go change real quick. Will you be okay?"

Korra nodded and smiled at him before turning her attention to where Sura was pointing impatiently in her book. Tahno came out of the bathroom a little while later to see his little sister in the middle of his bed, snuggled up next to Korra, who was reading the story of The Little Mermaid. He smiled a little at the sight, then switched off the overhead light to leave the bedside lamp on for Korra to continue read by. He laid down on the other side of Sura after silently setting down his crutches. Korra read for a little bit longer as Sura's yawns became more frequent and pronounced, and Tahno felt his own mind growing foggy as the effects of the painkillers kicked in.

Sura turned over and cuddled her dupatta and bunny rabbit closer to herself as she was clearly beginning to drift off. Korra closed the book and set it aside as she and Tahno looked at the tired little girl affectionately, both knowing they weren't going to try to move her.

Then they looked up at each other from across the bed. "I'm too tired to move," Korra murmured sleepily.

"Then stay here," Tahno replied simply, grinning as she fought against her drooping eyelids. "Goodnight. I love you." Tahno said softly as he brought the covers up around them.

"I love you too," Korra breathed out softly as she met his eyes. "But aren't you forgetting someone?" she said quietly as she nodded to the tiny form curled up between them.

Tahno sighed despondently before whispering back, "She doesn't know what love means. Autistic patients often never learn to grasp complex emotions."

Korra frowned a little as she digested this information, but she still wasn't giving up that easily. "How will she get the chance to beat the odds if you never even try to teach her? And anyway, so what if she never learns? If you love someone, you should tell them. Always," Korra stated firmly, her voice growing in strength but still remaining at whisper level.

Tahno peered down at the small head now buried so deeply in her pillow that all he could make out was a mass of black waves. How in the world could he explain that he was scared of a little girl? Of her rejection of his heart? Tahno was not one for going out on a limb. He didn't like taking chances where the outcome was horribly out of his favor and where his odds of succeeding were slim to none. Especially now that he had recently made such an epic failure after betting so strongly on himself. His leg was proof of that. People had always seen him as confident and self-assured, but that was because he had always taken such careful pains to make sure he came out on top, no matter what the circumstance. What no one knew was how terrified he was of failing.

He looked back up into Korra's eyes, sparkling with willfulness even in the darkness, never backing down. She had asked him before the accident why winning was a need instead of merely a want. He hadn't told her the whole truth, not by a long shot. Hell, he didn't know the whole truth himself. He didn't know why he was such a fucked up human being, but he did know that if he laid out the truth of his love to Sura and she didn't return it, it would hurt so unbelievably much. But could he confess all this to Korra while she stared so adamantly at him, her face so full of trust and expectation? The answer was a resounding no.

Tucking all his feelings into the farthest corners he could find, Tahno bent his head to place a gentle peck on Sura's sleeping head as he quietly muttered, "Love you."

He rose up again and quickly set about relaxing back into his pillows as he stretched his mouth into a forced yawn. "Damn, I'm tired, and you must be too, so get some rest. See you in the morning, Pretty Girl," he said smoothly, not allowing himself anymore glances at Korra's face.

He must have satisfied her, because he didn't hear her say anything else as she too snuggled further into the bed. It wasn't long until he began hearing the deep, even breathing of her slumber, and he finally turned to gaze once more at the additional occupants of his bed. He watched as both Sura and Korra slept peacefully, and an unexpected spark of warmth came to life in his chest. It spread steadily as a contented smile came to rest on his face, and he dared to imagine that maybe everything was going to be fine, when suddenly a distant uproar of angry voices reached his ears and shattered the notion entirely. Cohen and Norah had both come home.

Tahno scowled into the dark corners of his bedroom as he tried to block out the angry, indiscernible words his parents were shouting at each other, but to no avail. Not even the delicate tones of Sura's lullaby could distract him from it. They were far enough away in the house to not wake up either of the sleeping forms beside him, but he doubted it was going to be possible for him fall asleep until they finally quit. It was going to be a long night, and Tahno got the horrible, looming feeling that it was only the beginning of the nightmare.

The next morning, Tahno woke up to see Korra still sleeping deeply but with her arm wrapped protectively around Sura who had also snuggled closer to Korra. That warmth that had blossomed in his chest the night before began to blaze again as he watched them sleep before the searing pain in his knee reminded him that he needed to take more painkillers. He was astounded to notice the prescription bottle on the nightstand next to him along with a glass of water. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember if Korra had put it there the night before, because it looked like she hadn't moved much since she fell asleep last night. Tahno still took his painkiller as he sat up slightly before settling back into bed, then he waited for to kick in before he attempted to go to the bathroom on his own and fought not to wake up Korra or Sura. He came back out to see Sura and Korra stir awake.

"Good morning, girls," Tahno greeted in a surprisingly good mood despite not falling asleep until a very late hour himself.

Korra flashed him a brilliant smile before she sat up and stretched. "Good morning, handsome," she replied as she relaxed and began to get out of bed before Norah came into the room.

"There you are, Sura!" Norah exclaimed as she marched inside after knocking and not bothering to wait for an answer. She watched as her daughter's eyes fluttered open from sleep, then looked at her son disapprovingly as Sura began to realize she wasn't in her own room and jumped out of bed and clung to her mother as she whimpered. "Really, Tahno?" Norah questioned as she picked Sura up and settled her on her hip. "You know how important it is to follow strict routines with Sura to maintain any kind of peace in this house."

"I'm sorry. She fell asleep in my bed as Korra read her a bedtime story, and it's not like I can carry her to her own room," Tahno defended.

Norah just huffed and then looked between him and Korra, who was still sitting underneath the blankets. "I don't think _this_ is appropriate either," she complained as she nodded her head at Korra meaningfully.

Tahno rolled his eyes and tried to look apologetically at Korra, but she wouldn't meet either of their gazes as she sat frozen on the bed and fiddled with sheets in her lap. As Sura began to whine and sniffle, Norah hitched her higher up on her hip and then left the room without another word, then Tahno shook his head as he made his way over to his dressers to pick out something to wear.

"Would you like any help getting dressed?" Korra offered with a hopeful smile, trying to put things back on a positive note, despite Tahno's back being turned to her.

"I think I can manage," he assured her as he finally found a suitable shirt from his dresser.

"Oh, okay. I'll just go get dressed myself then..." Korra muttered, trying to hide her dejection as she left his room and made her way to her own.

After she left, Tahno exhaled and braced himself against his dresser as he hung his head in defeat. He could tell from Korra's tone that she was disappointed, but he had to learn how to do things himself, and that meant having Korra not help him so much. He had barely managed to get himself dressed before Korra lightly knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Tahno answered as he put his brace back onto his leg and Korra opened the door.

"It's just me. I thought you might need some help getting downstairs. Hannah has already made breakfast," Korra announced as she came in and shut the door behind her, leaning against it as Tahno managed to get up out of bed and make his way over to her.

"Is your mom mad at us?" she questioned anxiously.

"No. She was probably just concerned after not finding Sura in her bed when she went to wake her up," he deduced. "She has this whole carefully planned routine she goes through everyday, and if it gets messed up it could ruin the whole day."

"And people with autism need their routines," Korra finished as she moved away from the door and opened it so he could pass through.

"Yes they do," Tahno confirmed as they got to the stair case.

Getting down the stairs proved to be more difficult than Tahno had imagined, but he still did it on his own after refusing Korra's assistance once again. Then after breakfast, Norah left for work and Tahno had a chance to get the whole story out of Hannah. It turned out that it was Hannah who had set the painkillers and water on his nightstand that morning. She had thought the entire situation was just precious and adored Korra, especially since Korra was so good with Sura. Then Hannah told Tahno how Sura really was while he was gone. If he hadn't been filled with guilt before he was now. Korra noticed that Tahno seemed withdrawn the rest of the day, and no matter what she tried she couldn't get much more than half a smile from him.

Then dinner came around, and to say that Korra was nervous would have been an understatement. She wondered if this was how Tahno felt the first time he came to her house for dinner.

"You'll be fine. My dad won't even be here tonight," Tahno whispered to her as they made it through the house to the formal dining room.

Korra did let out a small sigh of relief, but that still left his mother, who had barely said two words to her since she had gotten there yesterday. Dinner started off with Tahno doing most of the talking, trying to break the ice for Korra and his mother since Sura usually hardly said anything at dinner. It seemed to be working for the most part since Norah seemed to warm up a bit to the point where she and Korra could carry on a pleasant conversation without Tahno's prodding. That night, Sura wanted to sleep with Tahno again, only this time Korra made sure to carry Sura back to her own bed because she didn't want a repeat of that morning.

"Come back to my bed when you're done," Tahno requested as Korra gently scooped up the small, sleeping child.

"No, you're too hurt for that," Korra whispered back as she left the room and put Sura in her own bed, tucking her in and kissing her head before returning to Tahno's room to make sure he didn't need anything.

When she opened the door, Tahno pulled the covers back and patted the space in bed next to him.

Korra frowned and shook her head. "What about what your mother said this morning? And besides, you are in no shape to..."

"To do what exactly?" Tahno asked with a smirk as Korra's cheeks began to darken. "I know I'm not in any shape for _**that**_, just... come and lay next to me. I sleep better when you're with me. And don't worry about my mother; she never comes in my room. She only did today because she couldn't find Sura."

Korra sighed in defeat, and before she knew it she had shut the door, turned out the lights, and had snuggled up against his right side, being very mindful of his left leg. She could hear his heart calming down and feel him relax as he absentmindedly started playing with her hair, twining his fingers in the silken locks. Korra didn't mind this; in fact, she actually really liked it.

"Thank you for staying with me. Goodnight, Pretty Girl. I love you," Tahno whispered as he kissed the crown of her head and he felt the heaviness of sleep start to pull him down.

"You're welcome, baby. I love you too," Korra mumbled back as she too felt the edges of her consciousness slip away into peaceful slumber.

The next day went much smoother and Tahno was slightly less introverted then he had been the day before and even made some exceptional progress. As evening approached, Korra was actually looking forward to having dinner with his mom again. Beneath the rather cold and formal exterior, she was actually quite nice. That was until Korra and Tahno came into the dining room to see the table had been set for five.

"Shit," Tahno muttered under his breath and looked toward his mother as they exchanged meaningful glances. "When?" Tahno asked, alluding to when his father was expected to arrive.

"Any minute," Norah answered, obviously trying her hardest to make the best of the situation.

"Great," Tahno grumbled while he took his seat and made sure Korra sat on the other side of him, as far away from his father's seat as possible. Then he curiously took one of his crutches and extended it toward his father's empty seat and pretended he was hitting his father over the head with it, complete with his own sound effects.

"Tahno," Norah admonished, but the bite was gone from her voice because the heavens only knew how badly she wanted to do the same.

"Just checking to see if it would reach, just in case," Tahno explained with a small, smug smile which did get Korra to roll her eyes at his antics.

They waited a while for Cohen to arrive before Norah gave up and decided to follow Sura's eating schedule rather than wait for him any longer. Korra tried to eat quickly since she didn't know if she would feel like eating once Cohen got there. About half way through dinner, Cohen did finally arrive and it felt like the room dropped ten degrees in temperature.

"How nice of you to join us, _dear_," Norah greeted, her tone flat and somewhere between a sneer and indifference.

"How nice of you to wait," Cohen clipped, his tone as sharp as ever as he sat down, not even giving anyone else a glance.

Everyone continued to eat in silence while the tension in the room grew to a nearly crushing degree, the only sounds coming from the silverware against the plates. Korra reached underneath the table and found Tahno's hand, squeezing it to get some reassurance while she wondered if she should be grateful or insulted that Cohen seemed to act like she wasn't there. Tahno squeezed back and gave her a sideways glance that spoke volumes, mostly an apology for everything he wished he could control but couldn't.

"You know as well as I do that Sura needs to stick to her schedules, and that includes when she eats," Norah pointed out, her face deceptively calm.

"Of course," Cohen muttered in between mouthfuls, his tone sounding more resigned then anything. Korra felt a twinge of empathy for him, he just looked so... old and tired.

"So how was work?" Korra asked, which caused everyone to stop eating and turn to look at her. Tahno nearly choked.

"Fine. One long board meeting after another," Cohen answered, surprised she would speak up like this, but the more he thought about it, he really shouldn't be.

"Oh yeah, those can be pretty tiring," Korra commented, trying to sound agreeable for the sake of breaking the tension, but she felt like she was just making it worse.

"How's your leg, Tahno?" Cohen inquired, changing his focus from Korra to his son.

"Better, thanks to the therapy. Still hurts though," Tahno answered truthfully, surprised that his father was being this civil considering the circumstances.

"Well, just make sure you stay on top of it. I would hate to see your mistake keep you from having a successful future," Cohen chided roughly, sounding more mocking than sincere.

Both Korra and Norah felt the floor drop at the little stab. Korra really didn't want to witness another family squabble, so she squeezed Tahno's hand even more firmly while hoping and praying that he wouldn't take the bait.

"So would I," Tahno calmly replied despite the jab, and he sensed as both Korra and his mother relaxed and began to breathe a little easier.

"I'm glad we are in agreement for once," Cohen stated with an air of finality, then abruptly changed the subject. "Have you heard back from any of the universities yet?"

"Not yet," Tahno answered quickly, perhaps too quickly. Korra raised an eyebrow, but decided that keeping her mouth shut was perhaps the best course of action.

"What about you, Korra? I assume you are going to be going to college as well?" Norah inquired, joining in the conversation.

"Absolutely. I'm mainly focusing on medical massage therapy, sports medicine to be more precise," she answers bravely.

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Norah commended her.

"Especially since you are getting so much experience in that field _now_," Cohen added, but with an undercurrent of something that made Korra feel uneasy.

Tahno picked up on it immediately and squeezed her hand, trying to bring her focus back to him. "It is, isn't it? Lucky me," Tahno quipped smugly.

Cohen grunted humorlessly in response, with an expression that to Tahno shouted, 'yeah right'. Thankfully, Sura had finished her dinner and Korra jumped at the chance to take her back to her room so she could escape to breathe. After they left, Tahno took the moment to get some information from his parents while he was alone with the two of them.

"So what's really going on?" Tahno demanded. "What's going to happen next?"

His father spoke up first. "I'll be moving out in a few weeks since Sura is already accustomed to this house. Her routines center around it, and since your mother and you have the most interaction with her every day, when possible, it would be in everyone's best interest if I be the one to leave. Your mother is going to keep the house," Cohen calmly explained, and Tahno fought to keep his jaw from dropping. Since when was his father this selfless? And since when did he care about Sura and her happiness?

"What about custody of Sura?" Tahno inquired.

"We're still working that out," Norah answered.

"When you two figure the rest out, could you at least let me know?" Tahno said as he stood up and arranged his crutches. "Oh, and if you could keep the midnight arguments down to a dull roar, I would love to be able to sleep at night," he added as he left the room to battle the stairs.

Over the next few weeks, Tahno became increasingly agitated, because while physically he was making progress in leaps and bounds, he was still kept awake at night from his parents fighting. Apparently his request had been ignored. But it was more than his parents arguing or the painful recovery process, it was also the toll from all the music executives, artists, and producers complaining that he was 'unavailable', and it was also trying to pretend that everything was okay whenever Sura was around. He absolutely had to remain strong for her, and even for Korra to some extent, even though he knew he didn't have to. He wanted to. Korra continued to sleep in Tahno's bed every night, and much more soundly than him as she was an extremely deep sleeper. If Norah knew about it, she didn't mention it, and it wasn't like they ever did anything more than sleep side by side anyway. As to that, Korra found herself becoming more and more confused by Tahno's seeming disinterest in resuming even the tamest of nocturnal activities, but she didn't want to push him into doing anything he wasn't physically ready for, even though he was improving. Everyday she helped with the exercises and stretches that were on the papers the hospital had sent home with him, and several times a day she performed all the best therapeutic massage techniques she had ever learned on his muscles and tendons.

Christmas eventually arrived with relatively little celebration, and Korra chose to spend the holiday with Tahno and his family, even though her own family always held huge gatherings full of fun and excitement. She felt okay giving it up this once, especially knowing the precarious situation with his family and how much he needed her support. About a week leading up to Christmas, Tahno's main gift for Korra had arrived early and he decided to go ahead and give it to her. It was a beautiful silver necklace with a bright blue topaz stone inlaid in a pendant shaped like an angel wing. Tahno felt a particular significance in giving her the necklace since she was his angel in many ways, as well as his saving grace. He couldn't wait to see it on her and hadn't been prepared for how stunning she looked with it against the mocha skin of her neck and collarbone, but what really made the moment was the look in her eyes when she opened it and how she vowed she would never take it off.

Christmas day itself wasn't much different than any other day in the Malek house. Cohen was gone on a business trip, so at least it was peaceful, and at least he had made sure that Sura would be given everything a little girl could possibly want for Christmas before he left. Sura did seem excited by all the new toys, but she clearly didn't understand the significance of the date or why it was all happening. In Korra's opinion, what Sura really needed was for her father to actually spend time with her, but she saw no way of getting him to listen to her or even care about what she had to say. Once their school's winter break had ended and Tahno and Korra returned to school, Tahno graduated from the crutches to using a cane, and Korra had even found him one that had a carved wolf head for the handle. It appealed strongly to his sense of style, and he found it easier to accept the fact that he had to use a cane at all. The start of the new year was also the time Cohen had set aside to move out of his house and into a large, upscale apartment, where he would stay until he found a suitable house.

Cohen's moving out process was actually easier than anyone had imagined. It took no time at all for him to find a very stylish apartment and furnish it to his liking. He went back to the house one day while no one was home to pack up the remaining things in his office. As he stood at his desk and put his things in a box, he sighed once he reached the hidden compartment and began gathering up the pictures and various mementos together. Pictures of him and Senna when they were still young and in love and that he had always kept secret from Norah. He didn't even look at them as he put them into a book and snapped it shut. Then he put the book in the box and grumbled to himself. He had chosen this specific day to get his things from the house. Tahno and Korra were at her house for the day, Norah had taken Sura to a doctor's appointment downtown, and the Nanny had the day off, so he had the house to himself and could move at his own pace without the usual tension that he always brought with his presence.

Cohen hefted the last box and carried it out to his car, but he paused as he saw an SUV advance up the driveway. It was Tiffany. Since Korra had started dating Tahno, Tiffany had stopped coming over completely, but still made an effort to keep Cohen in the loop when it came to what was going on with his own son. In fact, she seemed to have become much friendlier towards him since Tahno had returned to school, and the fact that he was getting a divorce had become public knowledge. Cohen honestly didn't know why Tahno never went after her; she was practically perfect. She was smart, loyal, charming, ambitious, and responsible, all qualities that would take her far in life. Not to mention she was beautiful. She had the big brown eyes, the long blonde hair, and she was tall and thin. Basically, she was what every girl strived to be, and she did it effortlessly.

Cohen shook his head. He did NOT need to think like that. He was going through a divorce for God's sake. That, and he was old enough to be her father. He put the box in his car and watched as Tiffany pulled out a box of her own and walked toward him and the house.

"Tiffany, I wasn't expecting to see you," Cohen gave in a way of greeting.

"Sorry. I knew Tahno and Korra wouldn't be here, and I needed to give these things back to Tahno," Tiffany supplied with a shrug.

"Here, let me get that off your hands then," Cohen offered as he came over and took the box from her.

She smiled sweetly up at him and walked with him back into the house. "So I heard that you and Mrs. Malek were getting separated..." Tiffany said, her tone sympathetic.

"Divorced," Cohen corrected.

"Divorced," Tiffany repeated. "I just wanted to give my condolences. I'm very sorry," she continued in apology, making a note to hold his gaze to show her sincerity.

Cohen nodded in response before putting the box down in the foyer. "Thank you, Tiffany," he replied as they walked back to the door.

"You're welcome. So I take it I caught you getting the last of your things together?" she inquired curiously.

"Something like that," he answered.

"Would you like some help? I don't have anywhere I need to be for a while, and just because Tahno and I aren't friends anymore doesn't mean we can't be, right? Besides, double the hands means half the work," Tiffany pointed out innocently.

Cohen, despite his better judgment, found himself agreeing with her and having her follow him to his office. She was right though. They made quick work of the office.

"What about the desk?" Tiffany inquired.

"I think I'm going to have a moving company come and get it. It's been in the family for three generations," Cohen answered.

"I think my SUV is big enough, so I could haul it for you and save you the time and money. I'm stronger then I look; I go to the gym four times a week," Tiffany suggested with a bright smile.

"I don't think it will fit, and anyway, you've been more than helpful today," Cohen assured her.

"No, I don't mind, honest," she insisted as her eyes widened earnestly. "At least let me measure it to make sure."

Then she went to her purse and pulled out a key chain that had a little tape measure on it, and Cohen watched with shameful interest as she turned her back to him and bent over into an unnecessary angle to measure the desk. "Oh, it'll definitely fit," Tiffany announced confidently, winking at him over her shoulder as she raised herself up provocatively. "Let me clean out the back real quick and we can load it up," she said as she walked passed him, her hips swaying as she gave him a sultry looking smirk.

Was she actually _flirting_ with him? While his ego was stroked at the notion, his common sense dismissed it. There was no way she would find _him_ attractive, at least not like that. She came back in a few moments later with that same bright smile and helped him haul the desk to her SUV, all the while he was trying not to show that he noticed how the strenuous effort was causing her top to ride down and bare a distracting amount of cleavage. They finally got into the back of her SUV, and then she followed him as drove to his new apartment.

Tiffany stayed and helped him unload everything before they tackled the desk again. She also made numerous remarks about how she loved the apartment and appreciated his style. Once they got the desk in, Tiffany even went as far as helping him put things away, making idle chit chat as she followed his directions.

"Although, if I'm perfectly honest, things have been rather dull. With Tahno being 'otherwise engaged' and all my friends going off and doing their own thing, it's just me. My parents are busy and never seem to notice me anymore. I'm just so lonely," Tiffany confessed sadly, her lips forming a seductive looking pout as her eyes dropped to the floor.

"You're better off without Tahno, and you're better without your friends at school. Take it from an old man, once you're in the real world, none of it will mean anything. Soon you'll be at college, then off to work in your career of choice and far away from trivial high school drama," Cohen replied as Tiffany leaned against his desk in a way that further exemplified her perfect figure.

"You're not old," she argued. "You're actually still in the prime of your life. Besides, you're the strongest guy I know, and I don't mean just physically, but mentally too. You're always so composed. You seem to be taking your divorce in such amazing stride, and I know it has to be hard on you. Tahno always complained about how 'distant' you are, but he's wrong. I just think he hasn't realized how extraordinary you are, and when he does realize it, I bet he still won't appreciate it the way _I_ do," Tiffany praised as she slid away from the desk and sauntered slowly in his direction, her smile taking on a mischievous curve and her eyes becoming glazed and hooded.

Cohen's brain told him to get her out of there, that what she was now obviously leading them towards was wrong. She shouldn't be saying these things to him, but his body reminded him that he hadn't gotten laid in... too long for him to even remember, and the way she had been flirting with him was making him feel 30 years younger. Before he knew it, she was kissing him. SHE was kissing HIM. Good God, she tasted divine. He stood frozen for a moment as she pressed her body up against him and moved her lips over his, then, in a split-second decision, Cohen threw all caution to the wind and let instinct take over. He latched his hands onto her hips aggressively and began backing her up onto the large, wooden desk. Tiffany perched herself on the edge and wrapped her legs around his hips while her hands made quick work of his shirt before moving lower as his mouth dominated the seemingly never ending kiss as the emptiness in his heart overpowered his sanity.

* * *

Author's Notes-

First things first- thank you Alaburn for helping me write this one along with betaing, I could NOT do this without you.

Second, thank you to ShOrtSh4dow for being our poor guinea pig and having different parts of this chapter crammed down your throat so we knew if we were going too far or not.  
Lastly and most importantly THANK YOU ALL for reading and waiting ever so patiently while we took a small break for Tah(n)orra week. But obviously now were back.  
Ok, so things I want to explain...  
Tiffany is an insane whore, she is a gold digging, severly obsessive, power hungry, evil, meniacle bitch who whole heartedly believes that she is the next Mrs. Malek. That's why she's banging Cohen...on his desk...and anywhere else she can get him.  
So...yeah, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, death threats, whatever, please let me know I will be happy to oblige. And again, thank you so so so so so so so sssssssssssssoooooooooooooo much for reading.


	22. The Heartbreak

Chapter 18

Part 1

After Tahno and Korra returned to school, the pressures of college applications and interviews came flooding back full steam, and they were further compounded by Korra's determination to continue helping Tahno's recovery in any way she could. She drove him to and from school each day and did a lot of driving back and forth from her house to his, dividing her time between her family and him. She also spent a significant portion of her time trying out different massage techniques on his injured leg as it progressed through various stages of recovery, or entertaining Sura when the five year old was being demanding, and it was all beginning to wear on her. There were also those few and fleeting moments when it was just Tahno and herself, and it made it all worth it. To see that rare smile that lit up her world made all the pressure dissipate for just a short while. It was those increasingly intermittent moments that Korra found herself depending on to get through the day, harder than she wanted to have to depend on.

By the end of January, Tahno's recovery progress was going exceptionally well, and Korra began wondering if the time had finally come for them to start resuming her new favorite form of recreation that had sadly been put on hold after Tahno's accident. The problem was that she wasn't sure how to voice those desires without seeming desperate and needy, so instead she found herself trying to give him physical cues that she would be ready whenever he was. The shirts and jeans she chose to wear around Tahno seemed to be a little tighter and more revealing than usual, and she began taking advantage of any opportunity to touch him, whether it was holding his hand or scooting closer next to him or simply rubbing his shoulders and neck, trying to satisfy her sexual hunger but only succeeding in fanning the flames.

So far Korra's attempts at subtle hinting had gotten her nowhere, and Tahno wasn't showing any signs of reciprocal desires, but she knew him enough by now not to take that at face value. Maybe he was just waiting for her to come out and say it before taking any action. So one restless afternoon, she finally decided she couldn't take it longer, and she came up behind him and started by massaging his back while he sat at the desk in his bedroom and took a break from the never ending emails after they had finished their homework. Norah was at work and Hannah had gone home for the day while Sura was napping, so the house was quiet. Korra made sure to hit those pleasure inducing chi points before moving her hands to work into his scalp, delighting in his delicious moans as she became encouraged by the notion that her plan was working.

"So I was thinking..." Korra started off, her voice a low, sweet murmur. Tahno gave something in between a grunt and a groan as a response as she leaned down so she could whisper seductively into his ear, "I was thinking how impressed I am of all the progress you've made and that maybe it's time we… _escalate_ things… by transferring this over to the bed. What do you say?" she proposed before nipping at his ear and nibbling on the skin on his neck, clearly displaying her intentions.

But the sigh she received in return wasn't one of concurring sentiment. It was more of a resigned, defeated one, and Korra stood up and removed her hands from him as she felt the cold burn of rejection smack her in the face. Tahno leaned forward and put his elbows on his desk while he rubbed his palms against his face in what appeared to be frustration.

"Korra, I just... it's not the best time for that. I'm tired, I know you're exhausted, and the last thing I want is for someone to walk in and..."

"But no one is home, Sura is sleeping, I'm not that tired, and plus, it would relieve stress," Korra argued, but all Tahno did was hang his head lower, not even bringing himself to look at her. Korra took in a deep breath and fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and balled her fists at her sides. "Let me guess, you just need some space right now?" she offered, repeating the excuse he had used on her a lot over the past few weeks.

"Yeah, some space would be good," Tahno agreed, still not turning around from the desk.

"Well if space is what you _need_, that's what I'll give you," Korra snapped as she turned to leave the room without even saying goodbye. She picked up her backpack from the hallway, her tears falling freely and silently down her face as she walked out the door and got promptly into her jeep before speeding out of the driveway.

Tahno heard her steps fade down the hallway and figured she was going to the bathroom or perhaps to Sura's room to check on her. He then leaned back and glanced down irritably at the raging hard on in his pants and gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted her so bad, but he could never admit the real reason why he wasn't taking her in all the ways that filled his dreams at night right at that very moment. The truth was that he was filled with shame and humiliation because of his injury and all that it represented, and that he now had to depend on her to manage some of simplest things. He was also terrified that he just wouldn't have the energy or ability to give her what she wanted and what he needed to give her. How was he supposed to explain that to her without making himself feel like even less than a man than he already felt? If he did that, she was sure to head for the hills, and he didn't think he could stand up to the crushing emptiness her absence would bring.

As those thoughts were going through Tahno's head, the noise of her jeep's engine revving up suddenly sounded from outside, and he limped over to the window just as the vehicle disappeared from his line of sight with a mood of angry vindication. Tahno cursed himself as he now realized the severe depth of her departing words, knowing he had fucked up. Again. A thundering cloud of agony and self-hatred seemed to push in all around him, suffocating him until he punched the window jam in a violent release of frustration and whipped away to draw back into the gloomy shadows of his room. Korra always gave all of herself to him, and what was he doing? Holding himself back. Since the accident, Tahno had gone right back to doing what had messed things up with her before; lying, only showing her the parts of himself that he had the guts to let her see. He picked up his phone to call her and winced when it went directly to voice-mail. He decided not to leave a message, instead opting to hang up and call again. This time he heard it ring twice, and he felt his heart speed up and then drop as the call once again went to voice-mail. The third time he called, it went to voice-mail after only the first ring, and an uncomfortable, foreign feeling began taking root in his chest: panic.

Not knowing what else to do, Tahno left a message, hoping she would check it soon. "Korra, baby, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. Please come back. We can... work this out, o-or something. When I said 'space' I didn't mean for you to leave, not at all. This is just a big misunderstanding. Please, just call me or text me or something. I need to know you're okay. Again, I'm sorry. Please, just let me know what I..."

Tahno was cut off by her voice-mail because the message time has been filled up. He pressed the button to end the call and sat back at his desk before leaning over and letting his head fall to the desktop, then picked it up and let it fall again, banging his head repeatedly on the desk while he waited for her to call him back.

"I'm an idiot!" he grumbled out loud.

He felt that all the confusion and doubt wouldn't be so intense if he and his father weren't currently in the midst of their worst fight yet. Last week Cohen had found a college acceptance letter to Tahno from a university that he had not preapproved and which specialized in music, not business or law, and it was definitely not Ivy League or even close. On that day, Tahno thought his dad was going to have an aneurism. It wasn't pretty, especially since Tahno blatantly came out and told his father that he had no intention of going to college just to make him happy, and that music was going to be his career because it was what he loved to do and was good at. It got even worse when Tahno boasted about how many of the songs he had helped collaborate were on the radio and were popular and how he was already making almost as much money as Cohen was and he hadn't even graduated high school yet. Cohen maintained that music was a fickle business and that just because he was popular today didn't mean he would be a year or even five or ten years down the line, and that he could never have respect for someone who was known as a 'has been'. No matter what argument Tahno made, Cohen wouldn't listen, and he continued to insist that a real man wouldn't accept that kind of instability for his life, let alone for supporting a family. That led to an even bigger blow up as Tahno pointed out Cohen's lack of reliable father qualities and how he was the reason the family was now fractured and that if _he_ was a real man, he wouldn't have let his marriage turn to shit.

If that wasn't enough stress, Tahno had had a doctor's appointment only a few days after that, and on a day when he was having an especially bad day as far as his knee was concerned, to the point that he had to go back to using crutches for two days, keeping him from driving himself to his appointment and leaving Korra to cancel an interview she had with one her more favored choices for a massage therapy school so she could take him. Granted, she didn't tell him at the time that she even had the interview in the first place, but when he did find out through Sasha how much Korra had been sacrificing for his sake, he felt sick. He hated himself even more. He was hurting her and her future all because he had been reckless. The past several weeks he had also been struggling to play catch up with his music, which felt like a full time job in of itself. It just felt like everything was coming in all at once and he was trying to swim in an ocean in the middle of a hurricane. Korra was his only stronghold, the only thing helping him keep his head above water, and he had just pushed her away.

Tahno stared desperately at his phone. The waiting made him feel like he was going insane. He needed to know that she was okay, and soon his brain started coming up with scenarios that she was dead in a ditch or something equally horrific because it had snowed the day before and he was well aware of the way she drove when she was upset. He was about to call again before his phone dinged from a text message, and he nearly broke it trying to get to it and read it, but when he did, his heart dropped.

'Hey, I made it home safe. Sorry for not saying goodbye but you don't need me there taking up more space, time, and energy then you can expend right now.'

Tahno grimaced like he had gotten slapped because the words were laced with so much acidic poison, biting him harder than he imagined a dog like Naga would bite an intruder. He was right in the middle of texting back before her next message came through.

'So since you need 'space', how about we take a break for the weekend? I'll see you on Monday at school. Get some rest - you need it – goodnight, Tahno.'

'Korra, please, let's talk about this. I am SO SORRY,' Tahno texted back, desperate to open up the lines of communication he had inadvertently closed.

'I said GOODNIGHT,' Korra repeated, more forcefully this time.

'FINE. I'll see you Monday then,' Tahno replied, tensing to throw his phone at the wall in a mixture of anger and desperation. But then he sighed and dropped it onto his mattress instead, knowing a shattered phone would only worsen his circumstances.

The next day, Korra found herself in a familiar and completely welcome environment. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this free or daring as she kickflip-underfliped on the half pipe, landing it clean despite the fact she hadn't skated in so long. She finished her set and decided to sit on the side of the end of the half pipe against the wall and watched Mako and her other boarding friends as they skated around the indoor skate park.

"Mind if I join you?" Mako asked as he suddenly appeared next to her.

"Sure," Korra said with a small smile as he sat down next to her, shoulder to shoulder, just like they always had.

"Are you okay?" he suddenly asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Korra answered with a small nod, but then sighed in defeat as Mako fixed her with a disbelieving eye. "Okay, you're right. I'm not," she admitted as she hung her head and continued, "I'm just feeling a lot of stress lately. Between school, trying to get into the right college, and not to mention Tahno and all the drama that his family seems to radiate, it's just been..." she tried to explain, but then shrugged her shoulders as words failed her.

"And how well have you been taking care of yourself through all this?" he questioned as he continued to peer at her concernedly. "It's hard to take care of other people when you're not being responsible for your own needs. You look like you've lost weight, and like you're kind of sick or something," he said, referring to how her clothes were hanging off her frame and the circles under her eyes.

"I haven't really needed anything; just time for myself I guess, and I'm doing that now, so…" Korra threw in, trailing off again before the words just started spewing out of her mouth as though a valve had been removed. "I don't mean to worry you, it's just that... there's a lot going on, you know? It's like if it's not one thing, it's another. And I feel like I'm just barely keeping it together, but I have to stay strong, especially for Tahno because he needs me and I want to be there for him, but it's just exhausting and incredibly frustrating." She stopped talking as some of the emotional weight seemed to lift off her chest, and she took off her helmet to run a hand through her hair as she savored the small bit of relief that flowed through her.

"Tahno's a lucky guy to have you. Not every girlfriend would even do half of what you do, so don't wear yourself out trying to be perfect. No one can manage that," Mako pointed out after her strained confession.

"Thanks," Korra muttered as she leaned against the wall, still watching the other skaters. "Oh, I heard you were dating Jennifer from Republic City High. What's that all about?" she inquired, changing the subject.

"Oh, you heard that, huh? That's because I _am_ dating Jennifer. It's going fine really. Never thought I would fall for the ballerina type," he replied pleasantly.

"That's right, I forgot Jennifer was into that," Korra recalled. "Well, she's always been a sweetheart, so I hope it works out. You deserve someone who makes you happy."

"So do you," Mako responded meaningfully.

"Tahno does make me happy. He's just... going through a rough time right now. Any guy, let alone an athlete, would be broken up if they lost an entire knee," she defended.

"True," Mako agreed.

They stay silently for a while, content to just watch their friends skate and crash into each other.

"You want to go get a pizza?" Mako proposed as he felt the pains of hunger settling in.

"I would LOVE to get a pizza," Korra agreed readily as they both stood up and stretched their limbs. "As long as you don't get in a fight with someone and accidentally punch me in the face again."

Mako froze and stared at her in shock for a moment, until Korra tossed her helmet at him with a wide grin on her face before jumping up and putting him into a head lock and giving him a noogie, thoroughly messing up his hair as she laughed loudly and shouted, "Gotcha!"

"Not the hair!" Mako shouted back as he tried to push her off but a relieved smile spread over his features as he realized all had been forgiven as he tried desperately to fix his hair.

"And I want lots of junk food, like brownies, oatmeal creme pies, zebra cakes, nutter butters, and rice crispy treats with M&M's in them," Korra listed off wistfully as they walked toward the exit together.

"Dear god, what's wrong with you?" Mako asked as he laughed at her antics.

"It's not funny! I'm going through withdrawal! The Malek's never keep any junk food and the only sugar in their entire house is in the fruit," she ranted.

"Hey, it's not nice to talk about your boyfriend like that," he teased.

Korra gasped and playfully hit him in the arm, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing too as they walked outside into the cold air and then drove to their favorite pizzeria. They ended up splitting a large 5 meat pizza, then washed down with copious amounts of Mountain Dew, and then went and got ice cream at a place next door.

"I've missed this place. This is _**so good**_," Korra enunciated the best she could as ice cream coated her mouth in wonderful, creamy goodness.

"Calm down there, Sally," Mako joked as he watched her stuff her face for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night.

"Shut up, it's good ice cream," Korra defended, but smiled nonetheless as her cheeks heated up.

"Whatever," he muttered playfully as he dug into his hot fudge and brownie sundae.

"Thank you for doing this with me. It's nice," she said softly.

"Anytime," he replied with a small smile.

Korra decided to spend the following day with Naga, because she hadn't been spending very much time with her lately and she felt horrible about it. But when Monday came around, things seemed to have shifted again and Tahno had suddenly changed from apologetic to angry and cold. Korra was completely dumbfounded by the transformation but soon found herself getting angry at him in return for acting like an ass when it was clearly his fault they weren't getting along, so she ignored him in retaliation. If she had expected that to bring Tahno back to his normal self, she was dead wrong, and she found her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach when he didn't even act the slightest bit jealous as a guy from the football team made a demeaning pass at her. Normally something like that would have resulted in the other guy running for his life as Korra reprimanded Tahno for being so possessive and intimidating to the unfortunate boy, but while also being secretly thrilled that he cared so much about her. She knew that he wasn't afraid of her being unfaithful, but she had learned from the very beginning of their relationship that he hated it when he thought that other guys were overstepping their boundaries when it came to Korra. So what did it mean now that a guy had clearly been all over her in Tahno's presence as he stood back without saying a word? The unease roiled inside her like a disease as she struggled to get through the day.

After school was over, Korra was the first one to break from their mutual silent treatment, and she finally gave in and went to talk to him. "Hey, do you need me to work on your knee after my dive practice?" Korra asked, trying to see if acting like nothing was wrong would somehow break the spell that Tahno seemed to be under.

"No, I will not be needing your _services_ today. There's no need for you to waste your time with _me_," Tahno replied tersely.

"What the hell is wrong with you today? You've been acting like an asshole all day and I have no idea why," Korra demanded, feeling her anger rise again.

"Takes one to know one," he countered with a shrug, his sleazy mask of indifference set securely on his face.

"Ugh, I don't have time for this. I'm going to be late for practice. Let me know when you're done acting like a dick and can have a decent conversation with me," Korra sneered as she turned and walked down the corridor.

About halfway down the hallway, she stopped and turned, but only to see Tahno had already gone. She was losing him and she didn't know how to get him back.

Dive practice was horrible that afternoon. Korra wasn't focused at all and it showed in her sloppy forms and pitiful flips. Her coach even took her aside to inquire as to why she was so distracted and to see if everything was okay. Korra passed if off as just stress about college but that she would try to leave her personal life at the door and be more focused next time. The coach laughed and asked her to just take care of herself and hinted for her to get her weight back up by eating some steak and mashed potatoes. Korra put on a fake smile and nodded her head to put her coach's mind at ease so that she could escape the scrutiny of his gaze.

After practice, she went straight to Tahno's house, determined to confront whatever issue had gotten between them once and for all because she simply couldn't take it anymore. But right before she left the school, Korra noticed the football player who had come on to her earlier, and she was confused to see him dart away with a scared look on his face immediately after making eye contact with her.

She got to Tahno's house and used her key to get in, but Tahno wasn't in his room or even in the kitchen or living room. She checked Sura's room where Hannah told her that Tahno had gone straight to the basement when he got home. So after saying hi to Sura, Korra left and made her way to Tahno's "Lair" as they had come to call it.

"Well at least there are sound dampeners down there," Korra grumbled as she opened the door to the basement to find Tahno on a video chat with some music executive or whatever. She decided to hold her tongue and sat down to wait for him to finish before she bit his head off for being a jerk.

"Thank you for waiting," Tahno said once he had signed off, but his tone was cold and sarcastic.

"You're welcome," Korra responded in an equally derivative voice. "Now tell me what the fuck is going on."

Instead of speaking, Tahno pressed some buttons on his phone and then set it on his desk for Korra to look at. She walked over and crossed her arms as she peered down at the displayed picture.

"So what?" she commented tightly.

"Explain that to me."

"Uh, it's a group of guys skateboarding. That's where they have these boards with wheels on the bottom of them and they ride them around and do tricks on them," she explained like she was breaking it down for a small child.

Tahno clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes as he snatched the phone back and enlarged the background before giving it back to her.

"Seriously? This is what you're mad at?" Korra demanded as she looked at the image of her and Mako sitting next to each other on the half pipe.

"Keep going," he said firmly.

Korra scrolled through picture after picture of her and Mako hanging out together and furrowed her brow as there seemed to be no end to them. "Where did you get all these?"

"They were on your Facebook, so I didn't follow you if that's what you're assuming," Tahno answered with a raised eyebrow.

Korra felt heat rise to her cheeks but stayed resolute in her conviction that his indignation was unfounded. "Whatever. What are these even supposed to prove anyway? I was having fun with my friend, and I can't believe what YOU are assuming."

"I haven't accused you of anything. I just thought it was interesting how quickly you've latched back onto him even after you were enemies a few weeks ago, especially since you already have a history of reading too much into your relationship with him," he spat crossly at her. But then his head lowered as he muttered in a quiet, wounded voice, "You seem really happy in those pictures. More happy than I've seen you lately."

As he said this, Korra came upon a particularly damning photo of her and Mako leaving the skate park together, both of them grinning and leaning into each other as Mako's hand touched her lower back. Admittedly, the two of them looked like a couple, and Korra knew that if she saw Tahno like that with another girl, she would have felt hurt. The only reason she had looked like that was because she _wasn't_ happy, and Mako had been helping her remember what it felt like to have fun and feel carefree, if only for a little while. That night she had been trying her best to have fun even though she was miserable because her boyfriend didn't want her, but she wasn't about to admit that to Tahno while she was so angry at him.

"We went and got pizza for God's sake! Is that a crime? If you hadn't been an ass and insisted you needed 'space', I would have brought you."

Tahno's expression darkened once again as shot back, "Yeah, put a cripple on a skateboard. Great idea."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous, you know that? And besides, you've got some nerve bringing up my history with Mako. I can't believe we're even fighting about that! That ship sailed a long time ago," Korra snapped as she threw her hands up in the air.

"Alright then, I'm fine with not talking about your ex crush. What should we move on to now?" Tahno asked while tilting his head in mock sincerity. "You want to insist I go 'patch things up' with my dad for the millionth time?" he suggested facetiously, referring to the fact that Korra had been pestering him to make up with Cohen ever since his father had moved out.

Korra huffed irritably. "You know I've only been saying that for your own good. He may not be the best guy in the world, but he's still a part of your family and you need to make peace with him sooner or later."

"Absolutely not. I am never 'making peace' with someone who can't even pass as a pathetic excuse for a human being. The fact that I am even related to him sickens me," Tahno vehemently argued. "And I would appreciate it if you never brought it up again."

"What is your deal? Why are you acting like this? I haven't _done_ anything wrong!" Korra shouted as her temper rose even higher. "In fact, I haven't done much of '_anything'_ lately!"

"Heaven forbid your libido goes on ice for a month, but at least we don't have to worry about that anymore, because I doubt your skateboard was the only thing you grinded over the weekend!" The moment the words left his mouth, Tahno felt the hard bitterness of shame.

Korra slapped him across the face. It was hard enough to wrench his head to the side, but he barely felt it. It was nothing compared to the shattered look on her face.

"How dare you!" Korra growled at him, her eyes staring daggers at him. "You're accusing me of cheating on you?!"

"I'm sor-" Tahno began to apologize, but he was quickly interrupted.

"So me wanting to be intimate with you in your 'fragile' condition suddenly makes me a slut who will go get it wherever she can? You listen to me, I KNOW these past few weeks have been hard for you, but they've been hard for me too! I have been wearing myself to the bone taking care of you, and believe it or not, _I_ need care too! And I need some sort of affirmation that you still desire me and don't just see me as a caretaker, which is all I've been for you lately! Excuse me for being upset when all my boyfriend feels like doing is holding my hand, especially when I watch my friends' boyfriends show them how much they love them all the time. Oh, and not to mention listening to Tiffany's disgusting anecdotes about her new 'mystery guy' who she says fucks her so hard she can't walk afterwards.

Some of Tahno's regret for his previous statement was pushed back to be replaced by hostility as he listened to Korra start mentioning how other guys were better boyfriends than him and, as he interpreted it, better men. "If you haven't noticed, I had my KNEE REPLACED! I can't stand on my own two fucking legs. I'm in pain all the god damned time. I apologize if that has disrupted _your_ life! If you think I'm being selfish, why don't you go take a look in the mirror?"

"You don't get to get off the hook that easy. I know you are going through a lot but you need to stop. Stop the petty jealousy, stop acting like the world's biggest ass, and stop feeling so god damned sorry for yourself! You are not a cripple, you are not an invalid. You're using a cane and have access to painkillers for crying out loud. You are months ahead on your projected recovery time. You are not Wolverine where you heal super humanly fast. Yes, you had a horrible accident that nearly killed you. Hell, it scared all of us, _especially_ me. But guess what? It's in the past, and there's nothing you can do to change it. You keep reliving it, and it's like you hold on to all the horrible things that have ever happened to you and add them to your own personal brew of Tahno's bitchy pity stew. I'm sick of it," Korra spat.

If Tahno had been angry before, he was furious now, and the more he spoke, the more he lost his filter. "I'm sorry I turned out to be such a disappointment to you! If we're not the people we each though we were, then maybe we're not right for each other!"

Tahno's heart was screaming at him, yelling for him to stop and take it all back, but he wouldn't comply.

Korra's eyes widened and pinned to his like a missile lining up its target as she shouted back, "I could have told you that!"

As she laid it out there, Tahno finally paid attention to his heart, because she had just shot an arrow in it. Did she really just say what he thought she said? What was it that he said to instigate it? He stood there looking at her, struggling to understand what was happening between them and why he couldn't breathe. He didn't get a clear answer from her face. Her eyes were still wide and burning into his with their blue fire, but there seemed to be something else inside them; a vicious pain that called out in misery to his own pain.

"Well…?" Tahno finally said, not knowing what else to say.

"Well what? I think we've said everything there is to be said," Korra replied promptly.

"Then why are you still here?" he questioned her, not meaning to say she should leave, but as an honest query, begging for some sort of logic or sense.

"I have no idea, but you don't have to worry anymore. I'm leaving," she bit out harshly, obviously taking it the wrong way.

Scathing pride, which often came forth to shield him in distress, dominated his next speech. "Thank God. I guess dreams do come true."

"Fine! If that's the way it's going to be, it's over! This, you, me, and whatever this fucked up relationship is, is over. We're done!" Korra screamed as she whirled around and ran up the stairs, her tears running rivers down her cheeks.

"Fine!" Tahno roared back after her as she left the basement.

He began pacing back and forth and running his hands through his hair while a chaos of thoughts and emotions ran circles around in his mind. He was panicking hard, and he didn't know what to do. All of a sudden, something screamed in his head to chase after her, and all he knew was that he had get her back.

He immediately ran up the stairs after her, leaving his cane behind, but by the time he reached the top and launched through the door leading to the driveway, she was gone. Tahno hung his head in defeat and despair as he muttered the most vile curses he could think of to himself, then he walked back inside to see something glitter on the rug in the foyer and bended down to pick it up. It was her necklace.

Tahno let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as his fingertips reverently touch the still warm surface. Suddenly, the pain he hadn't noticed coming from his knee hit him full force, but it was still nothing compared to the overwhelmingly heavy blows that were crushing the contents of his chest to bits. It was like he was falling into a deep abyss, and his safety net and life line, which had become Korra, was gone.

* * *

_Author's notes_

_As usual, biggest thanks to Alaburn for betaing, you are a rockstar. And thank ALL OF YOU for reading and faving, especially reviewing and special thanks to Guest C for your reviews, I wish I could thank you personally but this public shout out will have to do. _

_I would also like to appologize for taking so long to update but I JUST got back from vacation really late last night and had this waiting for me in my email inbox. So I needed sleep before I could properly upload this. Anyway, enjoy the heartbreak. and there will be a special surprise for whoever manages to give the 100th review, as long as I am able to respond to it. _


	23. The Healing

Chapter 18

Part 2

Tahno wasn't sure what to expect from Korra when he saw her the next day at school. He hadn't slept a wink the night before – not that he had even bothered to try – and if he had thought that his life was in shambles before, it was nothing compared to trying to come to terms with their separation. He had spent the night and the following morning in a daze, every minute attempting to block the storm of images, memories, and thoughts that would have utterly broken him down into a helpless, blubbering idiot if he allowed them to come through. But upon arriving at White Falls the next day, his entire mindset became focused on one thing: find her, see her. He didn't know what she would do or what his response would be once their paths crossed, but any interaction with her at all was the only thing he gave a fuck about at this point. If he had to guess, he imagined her pride would cause her to ignore him completely, as she had the last time she had declared war on him.

For once, Tahno hated being right. As soon as he stepped out of his car in the school parking lot on Tuesday morning, his eyes began roaming the crowds of students like a hunter, and he didn't stop looking for Korra until he zeroed in on her walking towards her locker before first period. As she stood before the open metal door and rifled through the contents, Tahno slowly but purposefully approached her from the side, his gaze locked on the hardened features of her face. It was still the most beautiful face he had ever seen. She must have heard the sound of his cane tapping against the tile, but as he had feared, she did not turn to acknowledge him.

"Korra," Tahno said quietly as he stopped about three lockers down from her.

The sound of his detached voice calling her name hung in the air for several moments as he waited for some kind of response. All that happened was Korra forming an even firmer set to her jaw while she became increasingly violent to the objects in her locker in her search for whatever it was she needed. Tahno writhed internally as he tried to decide what to say to her. The last thing he wanted to do was say the wrong thing and make her hate him even more.

Before he could work up the nerve to articulate a single sentence, Korra slammed her locker shut and turned to give him a brief, menacing glance. "What are you waiting for? Need a boy scout to help you across a street?" she sniped sarcastically before turning on her heel and stomping away to her first class.

The rest of the day passed with the exact same amount of luck, and Tahno drove home even more desperate to repair the rift that his stupidity had caused. The only comfort he took from the day was that even as unrelenting as Korra had been to him, there was still passion and fire in every fiber of her being, and it was all clearly displayed for his benefit and his alone, whether she was aware of what she was doing or not. He had to believe that this meant it was only a matter of time before she was back in his arms where she belonged.

He found her outside the school the next morning hanging out with some members of her dive team by the steps that led up to the main building, and this time he wasn't about to let her storm off in a rage before he got the chance say anything to her.

As Tahno came nearer, he heard Korra say to her team mates, "I swear I'll be doing better by regionals, guys. I've just been dealing with some crap lately, but I'm doing my best to get it sorted out."

So Tahno was being sorted out, was he? Well they would see about that. He stopped just behind where she stood with her back turned to him, completely unaware of his presence. Upon seeing Tahno's darkened expression, Korra's friends' faces melted from concern into uncomfortable trepidation. The look he was giving them was a definite hint that they should disperse.

"What's wrong?" Korra asked them in confusion as they began edging away and then turned to trip up the stairs. She stiffened as she suddenly seemed to apprehend that someone was behind her, and she swung around to face him, her eyes already set into a glare and her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Guess who?" Tahno muttered in a deceptively casual tone as they stood with their faces mere inches apart.

Korra jerked back away from him until her back met the stone wall that flanked the steps. "What do you want?" she spat out harshly.

"Word on the street is that your diving hasn't been quite up to par the past few days," he began nonchalantly, drawing the assumption from what he had picked up from her conversation just now. "Wonder what could have happened in that time frame to create such a disappointing turn of events?" he worded slyly, allowing a tiny smirk to grace his lips as he took a step closer to her.

Korra's face reddened slightly before she answered, "Not that it's any of your concern, but it has nothing to do with what you think. My diving's actually been suffering for the past few _weeks_. Go ahead, gloat all you want. If you think that's going to upset me then your ego is even more inflated than I thought."

_Weeks_? Alarm bells started going off in Tahno's mind. She had been going through this all this time without even mentioning it to him? "I had no idea, Korra. I'm sorry." He took two more steps toward her, his voice lowering as he dropped the wise ass façade in a hurry.

"I think it's a little late for that," she mumbled, her eyes dropping sadly to the concrete.

Tahno finished closing the distance between them until the toes of his shoes were just a foot away from hers. "I don't agree. Not after everything that's happened between us," he breathed in a dark, silken whisper as he raised his hand to run the ends of her hair through his fingers.

For some reason, she let him, and her face tilted up gradually to meet his gaze again. His heart sped up as he realized the shield blocking her emotions had slipped off for a moment, and she was now in his hold, for whatever precious amount of time. His hand left her hair so he could lightly trace her jawline with the pad of his thumb, his eyes smoldering into hers intimately. The soft, warm breath that left her lips as her eyelids fluttered closed skated over the side of his neck as he leaned closer, and he felt his loins clenching in response. Unable to help himself, he began lowering his face down over hers, his progress intent on her slightly parted lips.

At the last instant, Korra turned her head to the side and braced her palms against his chest as her eyes flew open to glower at him warningly. "You can't do that. You can't fix all the hell we've put each other through with sex."

"Why can't I?" Tahno questioned, his hooded stare never losing its heat.

She faltered before answering, "Because… you can't. It doesn't erase what you said or how you treated me."

"I'm not trying to pretend all that didn't happen, but I can't help this. It's just a part of everything you are to me." He didn't care that they were right in front of their school or that classes were about to start, he wasn't about to hide what he needed from her, the possessor of his heart and the only lover he would ever want.

Tahno started inching closer again, pushing against the pressure of her arms, but by now Korra had broken from the short lived spell and successfully pushed him away from her and took a step away from the wall, taking up a stronger stance, he was a fool if he thought he could get her back that easy.

"Oh really? Well that's news to me," she snapped poisonously, referring to his recent failure to connect to her in that way.

Her words stung him just as he was trying to lower his walls and make himself vulnerable to her, and the fact that she would even do that hurt him all the more. "Impressive," he sneered quietly as he backed away even further. "It seems White Falls has a new ice queen to add to its ranks, and believe me, that's saying something."

"What can I say? I learned from the best," she bit out, nodding to him pointedly. "I'm going to class." And just like that, he was alone again.

Korra was slowly falling apart at the seams. Two days had passed since her and Tahno's encounter on the school steps, and he hadn't attempted to talk to her again. The whole school had pretty much figured out that they were broken up by now, not that Korra had been willing to share the details with anyone besides her closest friends. Asami and Sasha were both doing their part in trying to show her their support and never failed to give Tahno death glares whenever they saw him. Korra appreciated the gesture, but it didn't succeed in making her feel any better.

One person who seemed to be feeling really good was Tiffany, who was making it her mission to flaunt her current relationship status with an older man in Korra's face every chance she got. Today was no different as the vulgar blonde stood in the girls' bathroom at lunch, boasting to her friends about her latest rendezvous with her new 'sex god'. Korra did her best to block out the descriptive recollections while she hastily washed her hands, Sasha standing next to her as she fixed her hair in the mirror.

"You should see the way he can go for hours! I worry that I'll get splinters when he ravages me on his desk. I even snuck into his office at work and-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tiffany!" Sasha voiced irritably after she couldn't stand to hear anymore. "No one gives a shit how much of a whore you are for an old man who has to take not one but three Viagra to go that long, not to mention that he must be senile. Didn't he call out the wrong name the last time you two fucked?"

Korra let out a callous laugh. "Oh my god, really? He called you the wrong name? Ha!"

"That's not the point! It least _I'm_ _getting_ some action," Tiffany feebly argued.

"Whatever. I would rather be celibate than bang a guy who can't remember my name," Korra countered as she left the bathroom with Sasha following close behind.

"You okay?" Sasha asked quietly as she could see Korra start to show signs of internally start to crumble.

"Yeah," Korra answered, sounding much stronger than she felt. "It's just really hard. People keep asking what's wrong with me and I keep saying 'nothing'. And it feels like the whole school found out we broke up overnight, so I have all these guys suddenly coming out of the woodwork now that they think I'm available, but they don't get it, I don't want a rebound, I don't want any of them. As crazy as it sounds, I want Tahno back, but it's not like I can just let him get away with everything he did. Even though… I know it's not just his fault. I was horrible to him. Maybe, as usual, I overreacted…" Korra's words dropped off as they turned a corner in the hallway to see Tahno standing a few yards away with two girls practically slithering all over him.

"On second thought, the son of a bitch can burn in hell," Korra said with a scowl as she whipped around to flee in the opposite direction.

Korra sat through her last classes of the day completely zoned out, not taking in an ounce of education. Then she skipped out of dive practice, knowing she would just disappoint her coach and team even more and she didn't have the heart to face it. She brushed off Asami's invite to hang out after school, opting instead to go home and sulk in an empty house. She had lied to Sasha earlier; she wasn't okay, but that didn't mean she had to subject everyone else to her misery. Four nights in a row now she had cried herself to sleep, and she was probably looking at a fifth.

As Korra drove home, her mind drifted to the memory of the events that had followed Tahno's admission to the hospital and his parents' awkward public blowup. She recalled specifically the afternoon she had sat her mother down and demanded a full explanation of her and Mr. Malek's past. Korra now realized with irritated irony how relevant their story was to what was now occurring between her and Tahno…

0~0~0

_Senna came home after a long shift at the hospital to find her daughter waiting for her at the kitchen table with an expectant look on her face, and she knew that the time had come. She didn't particularly want to have this discussion, ever, with anyone, but she also knew that there was no avoiding it now. _

"_I know," Senna said to Korra as she took off her coat and made a stop at the liquor cabinet before joining her at the table. _

_A bottle of whiskey and a shot glass suddenly appeared as Senna plopped down next to Korra, and then she began pouring while Korra raised an eyebrow at her mother's behavior. "Since when do you do shots?" she asked in surprise._

"_Since I'm pretty sure we're going to talk about how I used to bang your boyfriend's father," Senna replied bluntly before kicking back the whiskey, not grimacing at all as the liquid burned down her throat._

"_Ugh, you didn't have to say it like that," Korra groaned with a sickened face._

"_There's no sugarcoating it, sweetie," Senna shrugged as she poured another shot._

"_Mom, you're scaring me. Is it seriously that bad?"_

"_I'm sorry to say it is. I used to drink a lot in college. Mostly to drown out the pain Cohen caused me, but now I'm just trying to loosen my mouth because this is going to be really hard to talk about," she started before taking a deep breath. "Cohen and I were together for a couple of years when I was a little older than you are now. I met him when Norah, who was also my best friend and roommate at the time, brought him home after a date. He tried sneaking out the next morning and I caught him and gave him a piece of my mind for the way he was treating my friend. Somehow, along the way, he got me hooked. He left Norah for me, and while that put a strain on our friendship, it seemed to work itself out. But then I found myself being miserable more often than I was happy. Cohen was the big man on campus and he was ridiculously popular, especially with girls, and I spent the majority of our relationship stewing in well justified jealousy. I caught him outright cheating on me several times. We fought all the time. About his promiscuity and everything else under the sun. I was known as a firecracker back then, and Cohen reveled in it as much as it got on his nerves, and one of his favorite things to do when I pissed him off was to remind me of all the girls lined up to take my place and that I could be replaced just like that."_

"_So why did you stay with him? He sounds horrible," Korra asked after a speechless pause._

_Senna peered at her hesitantly before admitting, "I know this is hard for you to understand, but all the fighting was part of the appeal. We literally had a love-hate relationship. It was toxic and addicting. We fought then had sex, and that was pretty much it. It was a constant rotation; he cheated, I got mad, we broke up, then he brought me flowers and charmed me until I took him back. Jesus, I must have gotten over a hundred bouquets when we were together. We weren't actually in love, but we had become codependent on each other, and it was really hard to rip myself out of that cycle, but I did."_

"_Is that when you went to Alaska and met Dad?" Korra inquired._

_Senna nodded in confirmation as she held another shot between her hands on the table. "Yes. Cohen made one last ditch effort to keep me from leaving at the airport, but by that point I was done with him. I was able to see that what we were doing was sick, wrong, and unhealthy, but he was still happily addicted to me, and he never forgave me for jerking the rug out from under him."_

"_I'm sorry, Mom," Korra soothed as she rubbed comforting circles on her mom's shoulder._

"_Thanks, honey. I am too," Senna said with a sigh before she seemed to perk up a bit. "But if I hadn't been with Cohen, he wouldn't have driven me away and I never would have met your father and found my own happily ever after, so it all worked out I suppose." Senna concluded thoughtfully. _

"_Well that's one way to look at it. So from here on out, how do I deal with him? I can't ignore him," Korra pointed out. _

_Senna took a deep breath and thought it over carefully. "Just... be as civil as possible and give him some space. The man is going through a divorce after all, that's tough on anyone. Also, just take everything he says with a large grain of salt, because he doesn't care how abrasive he comes across to other people. He's just an angry, bitter guy." _

_Korra nodded in understanding as she considered everything her mother said._

"_Alright, your turn." Senna announced all of a sudden._

"_What?"_

"_I spilled about what happened between Cohen and me, and now it's time for you to spill about you and Tahno, because I __**know**__ something happened," Senna insisted._

"_Mom!" Korra nearly shrieked._

"_Hey, it's only fair. I saw the two of you after he got out of surgery, and it was a dead giveaway. Couples act differently after they've been together like that, and you're my child; did you think I wouldn't catch on?" _

_Korra looked mortified but couldn't bring herself to say anything in defense. It would have been pointless anyway._

"_So I take it you and Sasha didn't really share a cabin at the resort? Or if you did, you didn't for long," Senna speculated as Korra blushed furiously and wished the ground would swallow her. "You know, you could have told me you wanted to get away with him for the weekend instead of hiding behind Sasha," Senna added with a hint of disappointment._

"_I'm sorry, I just… I didn't know how to bring it up, and I didn't want you to be upset that I was ready for it, just in case you weren't," Korra muttered in apology. _

"_So Tahno didn't pressure you?" Senna asked, eying her carefully._

"_No, not at all! He was a perfect gentleman. I was the one demanding to know why he wasn't screwing me senseless-" Korra spewed out before stopping abruptly, her humiliation reaching an all-time high._

_Senna leaned back in her chair and laughed out loud as she held her stomach. Korra slapped her hand over her face before taking the shot of whiskey herself, then grimaced and gasped as it burned down her throat._

"_Oh, Korra," her mother said as she wiped her eyes. "It's okay, honey. You know, that sounds a lot like how your dad and I were way back when."_

"_Wait, so you're not going to get mad or forbid me from seeing him or anything?" Korra asked in bewilderment._

_Senna became serious again as she responded, "No. You're to the point now where you have to make the important decisions for yourself, because really, if there's something you want to do, then Dad and I can't stop you. We can't imprison you and watch your every move, and we wouldn't anyway, unless it was something life threatening that is. You're becoming an adult, and adults have to be responsible for themselves. But I will tell you this: I don't want to get any calls or letters from school saying that you've engaged in 'inappropriate behavior'," Senna warned as she stood and put the whiskey away and the shot glass in the sink._

"_Yes ma'am," Korra confirmed._

"_And more importantly, as long as you live under this roof, promise me you won't go off somewhere with him and tell me you're going to be in one place when you're really in another. I don't want something like this hospital episode happening to you again while I'm out of the loop. I just know Norah was going crazy with worry, and I can't stand the idea of you in a similar situation. It would be a thousand times worse if I didn't know where to find you."_

"_I promise," Korra mumbled humbly as her mother met her eye again._

"_Losing you would be the worst possible thing," Senna told her daughter gently as she stroked her hair._

0~0~0

Korra parked her jeep in her family's driveway and trudged up to the house in a cloud of depression. None of that conversation mattered anymore, and yet it still felt vitally important to her. As much as she and Tahno had told each other that they weren't like their parents, it seemed like they had been horribly wrong. Had their relationship just been a love-hate one too? Korra wasn't sure about all the abstract details, but there was one major difference that she knew for sure; she had actually been in love with Tahno. Damn it, she WAS in love with him. Her heart belonged to him and there was no way around it.

As Tahno was headed toward his car after school, Chad appeared next to him. "How's it going?" Tahno greeted blandly, not really interested in chatting.

"It's going good. So what happened?" Chad inquired.

"What?" Tahno asked back.

"Between you and Korra. What happened?" he clarified.

"We broke up."

"Why?" Chad prodded bravely.

"None of your damned business," Tahno snapped before he caught himself.

"You know, it's funny. I think this is the first time where both sides of a break up stayed this tight lipped," Chad observed.

Tahno found his attention sharpening at the prospect of learning more about how Korra was taking things. "What do you mean?"

"You're not saying what happened, and Korra won't say what happened either. All she'll admit is that you two broke up too, or at least that's all she would say to me when I asked. Although, I did hear that she confessed to wanting you back," Chad explained as Tahno stared at him disbelievingly.

"Who did you hear that from?" he demanded.

"My girlfriend, April. She said she was walking behind Korra when she was talking to Sasha before she had to go to her next class," Chad replied. "You know, we've been friends since the fourth grade, and we've both seen girls come and go, but… I don't think I have to tell you that this one is different because I have never seen you get like this. Over anyone," Chad reminded him before his phone started ringing. "Look, I gotta go. Let me know what happens," he said as he walked away with a wave.

Tahno stood there for a moment before everything seemed to snap back into focus. Korra was different because she was special, she was special because she was _the ONE_ for him, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he didn't get her back now he would regret it for the rest of his life. He got in his car and drove to the hospital because if he was going to get her back, he needed all the help he could get.

He arrived and made his way to the correct department to find Senna filling out paperwork behind a counter. He took a deep breath, wondering what her reaction would be to him coming to see her. He walked up to the counter and awkwardly cleared his throat to get her attention.

Senna looked up and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Hello, Tahno," she said slowly.

"Hi, Senna. When you have a minute, I need to talk to you and get your advice about something," Tahno informed her, trying to be vague considering how many people were around.

"On?" Senna inquired curiously.

"I screwed things up with Korra and I need help figuring out how to make it right again," he admitted painfully, his pride taking one of the biggest blows to date.

He watched as a series of emotions flashed across her face before taking on a pleasantly neutral expression. "Okay, I'm almost done with this paperwork. Wait in the lobby and I'll be there in a moment," Senna replied calmly.

Tahno nodded in understanding and did as he was told. A few moments later Senna came out and gestured for him to follow her.

"Let's go somewhere more private," Senna suggested as they made their way to a department that was closed on that day, leaving the area deserted. "You know, Tonraq and I decided a long time ago that when Korra was old enough to date that we would stay out of it because we wanted her to make decisions for herself and choose what was best for her whether we liked the guy or not. That being said, I can understand that it probably took a lot of guts for you to come here and ask for my help. So tell me, how do _you_ think you can fix this?" she asked.

"Get her the biggest bouquet of flowers I can carry, then show up at her door and beg for forgiveness," Tahno answered, wording the first idea that popped in his head.

"Is that really what you want to do?" Senna replied skeptically. "Give her flowers whenever you mess up so she learns to associate them with heartache?"

"Well when you say it like that…" Tahno muttered regretfully.

"Begging for forgiveness isn't a bad idea, but it needs to be paired with a genuine, heartfelt apology and a promise to do better, and not an empty promise. Working hard to correct your mistakes will out trump any flower arrangement you could ever give her. Flowers will eventually wilt and die where as your word should last much longer than that, and they shouldn't be used as a gimmick to get back into her good graces. I would think you would want flowers to have a positive connotation in your relationship instead of a negative one," Senna explained and watched as Tahno nodded in understanding. "And use this experience to remember to always be honest when you communicate with each other. You wouldn't believe how many fights you'll avoid if you do."

"I get what you're saying," he replied sincerely.

"Good. Now all this is advice I would give to both you _and_ Korra, because there's hardly ever just one person at fault in an argument, but she hasn't wanted to talk to us about it very much. I should get back now. I'm working late and so is Tonraq," Senna pointed out, hinting heavily.

"So I should go to her now?"

"No, I think you should wait till next year. Of course you should go now. Always handle an issue as soon you can," Senna answered as she stood up.

"Thank you, Senna. I know you didn't have to help me, especially since it's your daughter who I've hurt," he said genuinely as he stood up as well.

Senna smiled. "You're welcome. You're a really good boy and I'm proud of you for being so proactive in trying to win her back. I know you love her." She patted on him on the shoulder before walking back to her station. "Good luck," she called out in farewell.

Tahno didn't waste any time and immediately drove to Korra's house. Naga ran up to greet him as got out of his car, covering him in slobber and white fur as he tried to ward her off. "Ugh, yes, thank you for not eating me but..." Tahno tried to say before Naga jumped up and licked his face again, this time licking into his hair, giving him a cowlick. Before Tahno successfully pushed her off and tried to wipe it off with his sleeve and cursing himself for not zipping up his coat so that her white fur also got all over his clothes underneath.

"Not now, girl. I need to find Korra. Where is she?" Tahno questioned the dog.

The humongous dog turned and led him up to the front door, then waited expectantly for him to open it. Tahno knocked several times without any response before trying the knob and having it open for him. He hesitated before going further, but then Naga impatiently pushed it the rest of the way open and let herself in to trot promptly over to the laundry room where her food dish was located. Tahno also stepped inside, looking around the empty layout for any signs of life, but then he heard sound of muffled music playing and figured it was from behind the closed door of Korra's room. He shut the front door and divested himself of his coat as he hung it on the coat hooks on the wall, his coat hanging next to Korra's before he took off his shoes, not wanting to track snow into the house and walked to the bottom of the staircase. Tahno took a deep breath, resolving himself as he left his cane at the foot of the stairs and began making his way up.

Korra started in surprise at the sound of someone knocking on her bedroom door, but then figured it was probably Nana making another one of her unannounced visits. Naga would have alerted her if it was someone other than family. She turned off her iPod and opened the door, then reflexively shut it again when she saw Tahno standing on the other side. She pressed her back up against the door and tried to remember how to breathe while she cursed herself for having such a knee jerk reaction to just seeing him.

"Korra?" Tahno called out softly from the other side. "Can we please talk?"

"Breaking and entering is a crime you know," she declared in accusation.

"Naga let me in," he responded passively. She could almost hear the shrug in his voice and even picture his teasing smirk that she secretly adored.

"You actually expect me to believe that?" she challenged him.

"You can see for yourself. I have her official seal of approval."

The curiosity finally got to her, and, deciding it wouldn't hurt anything, she turned and reopened the door. Korra narrowed her gaze and inspected him more carefully this time, taking in the sight of hundreds of snow white hairs clinging to his black clothes and the slight cowlicks in his hair where Naga's tongue had clearly been. She couldn't help the chuckles that escaped her mouth at his overall rumpled and humorous looking exterior.

"It's nice to hear you laugh," Tahno said in way of breaking the ice. "How are you?"

"Fine," Korra clipped as she stopped laughing and folded her arms over her chest, her large, baggy sweater acting like a coat of armor. "How's Sura?" she inquired after a beat.

"She's been kind of sullen the last few days, clingy. She misses you."

"Thanks for the guilt," Korra said sourly.

"It wasn't meant to make you feel guilt. You asked me how she was and I answered," he told her simply.

Korra lowered her gaze to the floor as she tried to decide what to say in response when suddenly Tahno spoke up again. "I'm sorry," he worded in a timid voice, almost a whisper.

Korra snapped her head back up. "For what?"

"Everything," he answered. "For being selfish and not showing you how much you mean to me. For making you think I wasn't interested in sleeping with you when I was really just nervous that I would make a mess of everything. And I'm sorry for accusing you of getting cozy with other guys behind my back when I know you never would."

"Kind of hard for me to believe that you're sorry for accusing me of 'getting cozy' with other guys when I just saw two girls slithering over you like cats in heat only, what, a few _hours_ ago?" Korra responded coldly and accusingly.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Seriously?! After lunch in the B wing. Two girls, one blonde, short hair, the size of a toothpick, the other was a red head, ponytail, had her skirt hiked up a few inches because apparently everyone in school knows you have a thing for legs?" Korra rattled off like she was reading a crime report, which to her it was a crime, of the emotional kind.

Tahno looked completely confused for a second until he managed to recall what she was talking about. The events of the past few days were all a little fuzzy to him. "And the fact that I pushed them away right after escaped your notice?" he questioned back. The look Korra returned told him that she hadn't stuck around long enough to see that part. "Well it looks like we both need a lesson in asking what's going on before we jump to conclusions," he suggested frankly.

"Some of us need to learn that lesson a little more than others," Korra spat back.

He lifted his shoulders in surrender. "Okay, I said I'm sorry and I meant it. I know you weren't cheating on me. I was just being a dick because I was angry that you would rather spend time with him instead of with me, and I was scared of losing you."

"Losing me? Because I wanted to get away from the drama for a little while?"

"You completely shut me out," Tahno reminded her as his face twisted bitterly. "I had no idea where you had gone or if you were going to come back. You wouldn't talk to me, but you sure as hell talked to _him_."

Korra's face clouded as she remembered leaving without a word that afternoon and ignoring every single one of his phone calls. "I'm sorry," she murmured, hardly believing she was apologizing. "But you should have realized how much you were pushing me away before then. I wish I could feel like no matter how bad things get, that we'll bear it together, that you'll hold onto me just as hard as I hold onto you. We can't work if you try to bear everything by yourself and keep it all locked inside without accepting my help."

"That's because every time I do I end up costing you too much," Tahno replied earnestly.

"I don't care how much time and energy it takes to take care of you because you're worth it," Korra argued.

"Really? Even sacrificing an interview with your top college so you could take me to a pointless doctor's appointment?"

"How did you know about that?" Korra asked, her voice surprisingly soft.

"Sasha told me. She was mad because she thought I wasn't letting you have a life, which is true," Tahno admitted. "You've been keeping things from me too, trying to bear more than your share."

Korra stood in stunned silence as it dawned on her that all their issues kept coming back to the same problem: miscommunication. And he had said that the only reason he had turned down her sexual advances was because _he_ was afraid of messing up, not because he didn't want her. She blinked as she felt her eyes misting from the pain of realizing what she had almost thrown away. Tahno. Her Pretty Boy. Her evenly matched opponent, friend, lover. And for what? Petty reasons that were now beginning to fade from memory.

"I'll say it again and again, as much as it takes," Tahno's voice sounded once more. "I'm so sorry. Tell me what I need to do to get you back because I can't live like this. There isn't one person in this world that I want more than you. When I go to bed and when I wake up, you're the first and last thing on my mind and I don't want that to ever change. Please don't make me live without you anymore, because I'll never be strong enough for that," Tahno disclosed completely as his voice shook, taking a chance by letting it all out and putting his heart on the line.

Korra tried to stay strong, but there was no way she could. He had just put into words everything she was feeling, and for some odd reason she now felt utterly broken. She dropped her face into her palms as the tears began leaking from her eyes and her shoulders shook with emotion. Only a split second passed before Tahno's arms came around her, pulling her to him as if he was just as broken as she was and he needed to meld himself to her to become whole.

Korra flung her own arms around his middle and buried her face in his shirt and cried how sorry she was over and over again until he shushed her soothingly and rocked them from side to side until she calmed down. "I love you. I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you too," he said back to her. Then everything suddenly became still and quiet as their hold on each other became more gentle and they were able to relax in each other's warmth, and Tahno worded quietly, "Will you do me a favor?"

Korra hummed in response. She would do anything for him.

"Reach into my pocket, get your necklace and put it back on," he requested softly, then eased his grip on her so she could do as he asked but still kept her in the circle of his embrace.

She slid her hand down into his jeans pocket to retrieve the jewelry and then moved her hair out of the way after he covered her hands with his and leaned in to clasp the ends of the necklace behind her neck. He couldn't help himself as he gently laid a kiss next to where he had fastened the delicate, silver chain. His lips lingered, and his hands begin slowly trailing down her back.

"I missed you," Korra whispered suddenly, echoing the sole ache that had been stabbing his heart all week.

Tahno inhaled the scent of her skin as his eyelids closed in a sudden pitfall of emotion, and he held her tightly against himself as he fought the water building in the back of his eyes. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and extended herself up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck as they both fit themselves as tightly as they possibly could to each other, but it wasn't close enough.

As if that thought had sprung into their minds at the very same instant, they pulled away from each other just enough so their lips could become locked in a frantic, heated flurry. Tahno's hands came up to frame Korra's face as he pushed her up against her bedroom wall. A single bead of moisture managed to escape from the corner of his eye, and it tracked down to combine with the tears that had already been flowing down Korra's cheeks. He gloried in the joy that his emptiness was gone, and he moaned into her mouth with how good it felt to finally be intact once again.

She moaned in answer and then latched her fingers onto the hem of his shirt and dragged it purposefully up his body and over his head. He pulled back from the kiss so that she could remove it from him, and her own sweater and shirt soon joined his on the floor. They began making their way to the bed as Tahno made sure that Korra became unburdened of all her remaining clothes before they fell on top of the thick fur blanket covering the bed, the force of impact softened by the layers of down and memory foam over the water bed mattress that answered back in soft waves that rolled their bodies closer together.

He did all this while keeping most of his weight on his good leg, but even if it was hurting him he wouldn't care. Every cell in his brain was concentrating on each kiss and each sensation that he and Korra shared. Nothing else mattered. He braced himself up on his palms and breathed heavily as Korra lay under him and undid his pants before working them down off the rest of his body. Soon there was nothing but his skin against hers and the silky, soft fur beneath them. There was something about the feel of fur sliding over their skin that seemed to heighten the already blistering degree of sensuality clouding all around them, and everything became even more erotically sensitized.

It wasn't long after that until Tahno was inside her, thrusting with quaking intensity. Unlike their previous times together, there was no battle for control, no curious experimenting, and no playful teasing. Only a raw, base need to be as close as possible. Korra hiked up her knees and spread her thighs as much as she could, arching her back as she met his thrusts with determined rolls of her hips. Her nails dug into his back as they both worked to make each penetration deeper than the last. Their mingled breaths and heartbeats quickened with every passing second as they both felt themselves getting closer, and the only thing that was steady was the increase of the intensity and acceleration in which they were making love. In the desperate jostle of warm, pulsating flesh, they murmured things in each other's ears that were half words, half groans before meshing their mouths together in a tangle of lips and tongues. Then they tore their lips away from each other only as the need for oxygen became imperative. Tahno let his head drop down next to hers as he panted into her sweat dampened hair, now pounding into her with all the remaining strength he had as her loud cries of ecstasy lifted to the ceiling and reverberated throughout his being.

Then they were both helpless to the harsh moans and shouts that left their lips as they reached their climaxes and moved together in wild, frenetic lunges before collapsing in a trembling heap. They continued to hold one another as they gasped for air, then Tahno pressed a trail of soft kisses to her skin amid ragged breaths as he nuzzled her neck, collarbone, then down to the spot between her breasts, not willing to give up the moment of sheer intimacy just yet. Korra kept her eyes closed as she allowed her lips to curl in a contented smile, and her hands came up to caress the back of his head as he continued to rest on top of her.

At that moment, it felt like nothing would ever come between them again.

* * *

_Auhor's notes- _

_I would like to dedicate this to Fraser and Mel, who are the best fans any writer could ever have and I count myself blessed to have known both of you. _

_And as always, thank you to the ever wonderful Alaburn for betaing and to Shorty for being our guina pig as usual. _

_Thank you so so so much for reading and I look forward to hearing from all of you. _

_So see? It all works out. ;D_


	24. The Distraction and The LOSS

_Author's warning- get a pillow to scream into and punch...and possibly a bucket to throw up in. _

* * *

We Love the Water

Chapter 19

Cohen walked inside his apartment after a particularly draining day at work, a day made significantly worse by the manila envelope he carried in his briefcase. The envelope contained the last of the papers needed to be signed by Norah and himself until they were officially divorced. The lawyer had dropped them off at his office that morning and their presence had been weighing on his mind like a time bomb ever since, ticking down the final minutes until this stage of his life came to an end and a new one began. Although, nothing would really be changing that much. He and his wife had never had much of a marriage to begin with, and he had rarely ever been home anyway, but no matter what angle he looked at it, he couldn't deny that he was dreading the moment when it all became legal and final. Maybe it was the businessman in him; it didn't feel real until the last 'i' was dotted and the last 't' was crossed.

It wasn't really the marriage itself that Cohen regretted losing, and he was actually having trouble defining exactly what significant thing he felt was being torn away from him. All he knew was that everything was interconnected in a confusing mess. He had always appreciated Norah's role in his life, but his feelings for her had never been anywhere near as intense as they had been for… God, he couldn't even think about Senna without getting all riled up, but that was all about to change. On the drive home he had made several important decisions that he would be putting into effect today. Cohen figured he may as well take this opportunity to change several things in his life. Starting tomorrow he would be living a different kind of life and be a new man, or at least he was going to give it his best shot.

From the hidden compartment in his desk, Cohen took out his collection of old photos and some handwritten documents that he had refused to let go of for twenty odd years. He ran his eyes over the images of Senna like he had been doing for two decades. Before, he had always taken some peculiar comfort over the feelings of bitterness and loneliness that came with letting his gaze follow the familiar pattern of her eyes and smile. To ache for what might have been, to blame her for everything that was wrong in his life. But not anymore. For some reason he could no longer transfer his guilt and unhappiness to the tragedies of the past. When Cohen looked at Senna's twenty year old self now, all he felt was… nostalgia, and it was past time to let it go.

One by one, he let each picture and scrawled out note of affection she had written to him fall into a paper sack. Lastly, his fingers brushed a letter that he hadn't bothered to open in several years. It was in pitiful condition, having once been ripped into pieces and taped back together, and he held his breath as he delicately unfolded it one last time. Senna had mailed it to him from Alaska after his several vain attempts to call her, and then she had never contacted him again. He reread the cliché words she had written, the ones that had caused his throat to burn in contempt, but now merely made him frown in resignation. _'… One day you'll realize you don't really love me. If you love something, you'll let it go… When you love someone, you want what's best for them…'_

Cohen refolded the letter and placed it in the bottom of the sack with everything else. Then he carried it out to the apartment's large balcony along with matches and lighter fluid and wadded it up before tossing it into the small fire pit sitting on the ground. He walked back inside a few minutes later after seeing the last of the ashes curl up and float away in the tendrils of smoke, and he sighed a heavy breath as he prepared himself for the next challenge. As if on schedule, the sound of a quick knock came from the front door, and he looked up just in time to see Tiffany slink through as she let herself in.

"Hey there, baby. Why the long face?" Tiffany inquired in a syrupy tone as she sauntered over to him.

"We need to talk, Tiffany," Cohen said solemnly.

"Hmm, how about after we get our afternoon_ 'workout'_?" Tiffany purred as she tried to put her arms around his neck, only to have Cohen firmly remove her hands and use his hold to back her away from him.

"No more games. We're done," he worded in a condescending voice Tiffany had heard him use on Tahno when he was upset with him.

She narrowed her eyes as she realized what was going on. She was being dumped. "What do you mean we're done?" she demanded in a drastically colder tone.

"You and me. This is over between us. I don't know what you expected to happen when you first seduced me, but this has run its course. This was never going to last anyway, and we've had more than enough close calls at my office which never should have happened to begin with. It's over. Forget it ever happened," he informed her none too gently.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," she hissed.

"I think you'll find I can," Cohen argued back unsympathetically, a cruel smirk on his lips.

With a dramatic, shuddering breath, Tiffany released the waterworks, obviously hoping to pull a heart string or two, unaware that he had none where she was concerned. "No, no you can't!" she sobbed a little over dramatically. "I love you, Cohen! You can't throw me away like you have everyone else in your life!"

Cohen barely resisted rolling his eyes at the theatrics. "You don't love me. You don't even know what love is. You're just _obsessed_ with the _illusion_ of what you think we have."

"I'm not obsessed!" she spat in defense.

"And it was your twin I saw stalking me, I suppose? Watching me at my office and following me all around town. Maybe you'd be a little less obvious if you changed your outfit every now and then. With that black leather jacket and little matching miniskirt, you might as well sound a siren to announce your presence," he pointed out, surprising her with his sharp observation.

"Well now I guess I know where Tahno got his kink for legs. And just for your information, if it ever looked like I was trying to be inconspicuous, it was just because I wanted to surprise you."

"If you really want to surprise me, why don't you start by acting like an adult? Suck it up and leave with as much dignity as you can instead of throwing a temper tantrum like a child," he grumbled, half reproof, half taunt.

"Oh, you want to see a temper tantrum? I'll give you the temper tantrum of your life! Even worse than the ones Sura can give!" Tiffany screamed, her face screwing up in ugly fury.

Cohen bristled instantly and narrowed his eyes as he reached forward to grab her forcibly by the arms, causing her to gasp at his sudden movement. "Never say my daughter's name again," he growled as his eyes bored into hers dangerously. "Now get out. Leave my family and friends alone or I'll get a restraining order. I wonder how many universities would be interested in educating a psychopath," he threatened before loosening his grip, allowing her to wrench herself away from him.

"Oh yeah? I wonder how your divorce will go down in court when everyone finds out you've been unfaithful to your wife, and I wonder how your colleagues will react to knowing that they work with a pervert who likes to prey on defenseless young girls." Tiffany threatened.

"But I'm not. You're eighteen, a consenting adult," Cohen corrected smoothly. "It's not like you can ruin my marriage, and are you really so naïve to think I'm the only man in my type of position to be swayed by someone like you? You've got a lot more to lose from this getting out than I do. Your reputation will be worth next to nothing after the initial shock dies down, and I'll still be exactly where I am now. What game were you trying to play here? Did you actually think I would fall for you? That you would be, what, the next Mrs. Malek?" Cohen sneered, amused by the notion.

"I _thought_ you cared about me. I thought we had something special," she sniped in one last attempt to shake him up.

"No. If anything, you were nothing more than passing fling. A distraction," Cohen clarified, his face now set in passive indifference.

"Well this 'distraction' is about to get a lot more _distracting_," Tiffany promised as her tears seemed to magically stop streaming down her cheeks. "You can bet your life on it," she added before turning on her heel and leaving, slamming the door behind her.

Tiffany stomped all the way back to her car and threw herself inside. What was she going to do? She hung on to any sense of calm she had left and tried to block out the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. Now she had nothing. Her plans to move into Cohen's life and subsequently the security of his wallet were down the drain, and he had made it a hundred times worse by calling her on all her scheming and rubbing her face in it. Not to mention, he was now just one more person who didn't want her around. Her so called 'family' still hated her, she had lost her place as Tahno's right hand months ago, and even her friends had only been tolerating her lately because of the entertaining tales of her exploits with a rich older man.

She leaned back in her seat, running a tense hand through her hair as a movement at the entrance of the apartment building caught her eye. She watched with boiling hatred as Cohen walked to his car with a large envelope clutched rigidly in his fist and then drove out of sight. He was probably going to his house with more paperwork. She had spent enough time tracking his movements in the last few weeks to make a good guess. Well, he sure was in for a hell of _surprise_ when he got there. Tiffany pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed Norah's number, waiting with rising wrath until she heard an answer.

"Hi, Norah, It's Tiffany. How are you?" she greeted in false sweetness.

"Fine, how are you?" Norah responded cordially.

"To be honest, I'm not doing so well. You see, I've been having quite the affair with Cohen and the guilt has just been eating me alive," Tiffany said nonchalantly as the other end of the line remained deathly quiet. "The whole ordeal has had me feeling so confused and I just didn't know what to do. I'm sure you know how persuasive your husband can be. But I finally decided I had to tell you about it. I just can't bear the thought of you staying in the dark any longer!" she exclaimed with enough sarcasm to choke a horse.

"What?!" Norah shrieked as she dropped her coffee cup and stood frozen in her kitchen.

"I'm sorry, did I stutter? It's been going on for a long time, before he even moved out. And if you don't believe me, believe this..." Tiffany told her as she went over into the picture and video gallery of her phone, tagged several noteworthy media files, then sent them to Norah's phone. "They should have the dates and times on them too. Have a nice day," she signed off in the same sickening sweetness as she clicked the phone call off.

Tiffany's vindictive smile fell as she leaned toward the car's mirror and began wiping away her smudged mascara. "And who the fuck was Senna anyway?" she wondered out loud as she brewed before going back into her phone and sending Norah every picture, every video she had of Cohen and her together. Because if she was going down, by God so was he.

Tahno and Korra's relationship had never been better – emotionally _or_ physically. After their first time being together sexually since the accident, Tahno's knee was admittedly rather sore, but he didn't care. And very soon they got plenty of practice figuring out how to work around his still recovering leg as they continued to pick up where they had left off at the ski resort. Indeed, it was almost like they were in the cabin again, only now they each had personal schedules and family members to maneuver around instead of just being able to go at each other whenever they felt like it. They had an unspoken agreement to take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself, and often times the end of classes had them running off to whoever's house happened to be empty at the time.

However, that wasn't necessarily enough to get them through the school day, and every now and then Korra would find herself being led off to some remote closet or storage room where she and Tahno could let off some steam, despite her promise to her mother. But Tahno coerced her easily enough by pointing out that the promise had only been for Senna to not get any letters of inappropriate behavior, which wouldn't happen as long as they didn't get caught and that Korra didn't know him at all if she thought he would allow that to happen. She had to hand it to him, Tahno knew White Falls Academy like the back of his own hand and practically ran it. He seemed to be able to time with perfect precision where they could go during their breaks and be alone without any interruptions. No matter where she was in the school at any time of day, he could find her pull her away from everything and have her up against a wall with his hand up her skirt the next minute.

The family member part was a little bit trickier, especially with the rocky situation in the Malek household. One particular afternoon, Tahno and Korra were needed to look after Sura, and they good naturedly put aside the raging hormones for a few hours, after whispered promises to be together later that night. It was Hannah's day off, and it was also the day that Cohen would be coming over with the last of the divorce papers to be signed, so Tahno thought it best to keep his little sister out of the way of any harmful commotion that might occur as a result. He and Korra were with her in the living room as the five year old played a game on Tahno's iPad. She had already mastered it even though it was a game designed for someone well over her age level, but she loved the repetition and the flashing colors on the bright screen. As always, Sura still held onto the purple dupatta Korra had given to her as a gift. Today she had it tied around her shoulders.

"I never expected she was going to love it so much," Korra commented as she watched the little girl affectionately. "It's just a scarf."

"She probably associates it with you," Tahno guessed with a shrug. Korra gave him a quick, sardonic look before retuning her gaze to Sura sitting below them on the floor. "I'm serious," he murmured as he pulled Korra's hand into his. "She's been crazy about you since the two of you first met."

"How do you know?" Korra asked as she turned on the sofa to look at him fully.

Tahno smirked and rolled his eyes as though the answer was obvious. "She lights up like a firework when she sees you. You play with her, you get her to open up, and you're _real_ with her. She knows you're not full of crap."

Korra seemed to ponder what he said for a moment, and then she suddenly broke into a grin before replying, "I suppose you would know. She isn't the first five year old I charmed, is she, Pretty Boy?"

Tahno smiled back as he recalled a much younger Korra in a flower girl dress, climbing under a table and ultimately winning him over. "I guess she isn't."

"Positive reinforcement from the addition of a reinforcing stimulus," Sura said suddenly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Korra asked with a befuddled shake of her head as Tahno chuckled.

"It's just a term she picked up from her therapist. It doesn't really apply to this situation, but oh well," he replied

"Oh, ok," Korra said with a nod. "By the way, Sura, I love how you made your dupatta like a cape. You look like a superhero."

"No capes," Sura chirped from the floor as Korra frowned in confusion.

"That's actually her _princess_ look," Tahno corrected as he pointed out the plastic tiara in Sura's hair. "When she's a superhero she wears her mask."

"Oh, right. Of course," Korra retracted as she smiled. "I'm sorry. You're a beautiful princess."

"What do you say, Sura?" Tahno reminded his sister. He had been working on getting her to be more vocal, and manners were a good opportunity for her to practice.

Sura began listing off phrases like a recorded message. "Thank you very much. Have a nice day. Nice to meet you. Excuse me," she chanted without taking her eyes off the iPad.

Korra couldn't hold back the burst of laughter and fell back into the couch cushions as Tahno sighed and tried to hold back his own amusement. "Don't encourage her," he complained.

The sound of a breaking dish suddenly came from the kitchen while Korra tried to contain herself.

"Wonder what that was," Tahno muttered before calling out, "You okay, Mom?"

There wasn't an answer, but Tahno shrugged it off as Sura hopped up to wiggle in between him and Korra on the couch and they watched her play for a few more minutes.

"I'm gonna go see if your mom needs any help getting dinner ready or anything," Korra informed him after a while and stood up to do just that, but she came back almost immediately with a strange look on her face. "Um, Tahno? I think you should come in here," she whisper-shouted while gesturing stiffly towards the kitchen.

Uneasy curiosity gripped him as he stood up and made his way over, giving one last look over his shoulder to make sure Sura was still happily occupied before following Korra into the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was the remnants of a shattered mug, still lying in a puddle of spilled coffee in the middle of the floor. Then his eyes went over to where his mother sat at the kitchen table. Her face was as white as paper, and she stared straight in front of her as though hypnotized, barely even blinking. She didn't move a single muscle to acknowledge them or even act as if she knew they were there. Tahno and Korra exchanged anxious glances, then Korra went and began cleaning up the mess in the floor as Tahno cautiously stepped closer to his mother.

"Mom? What's wrong?" he worded slowly, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

She didn't turn to look at him, but finally spoke in a flat monotone, "Just when I thought the bastard could sink no lower."

She wasn't making any sense. "Mom, this isn't like you. What's going on?" Tahno demanded, his voice becoming graver as his apprehension grew.

When she didn't respond, he picked up her phone from where it was sitting on the table in front of her, hoping it would answer his question. He saw that she had just watched a video, and he pressed the replay button to see what had distressed her to the point of comatose. The images were dark and blurry and hard to make out, but he was clearly seeing a video of two people having sex, as evident by the sound of moans and heavy breathing. The voices were disturbingly familiar, and he felt utter revulsion taking over his body when he heard the unmistakable sound of Tiffany's voice keen with pleasure, "Oh god! Cohen, baby, yes!" Then an answering male voice that he had known his whole life shouting out one word, "Senna!"

Tahno cut the footage off as quickly as he could with his hand shaking violently. There were more videos. And dozens of pictures. All sent to his mother's phone about fifteen minutes ago. He dropped it back onto the table as if it had burned him, then saw that Norah had lowered her head with her hand covering her mouth, but was still otherwise frozen in place. His gaze swiveled over to Korra, who was also frozen a few paces away, a rag dangling from her hand as she stared at him in horror and appeared just as nauseated as he felt. They all remained like statues for a few moments until they heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by Tahno's father calling for Norah.

Norah's head snapped up all of a sudden, her eyes glaring in the direction of the voice. A second later, she was up and striding out of the room faster than Tahno or Korra could blink. They followed her as she shoved the kitchen door out of her way and lurched over to where Cohen was standing by a table just where the foyer met the living room, his attention held by a manila envelope he held in his hand.

"You!" Norah exclaimed in anger as she stopped about eight feet away from him. "Get out of this house."

"We have a few matters of business to take care of, Norah," he informed her dryly while holding up a stack of papers he had just removed from the envelope.

"I don't care! Just leave it and turn around this instant! I'm not going to let my children be exposed to your perverted soul any longer. You better hope to God I don't catch you under this roof again!"

Cohen stiffened and then slowly raised his head to stare piercingly at Norah. "She told you."

"You're damn right she did!" Norah's voice rose even higher as she began to visibly shake with rage. "The _child_ in those pictures and videos told me everything! Now if you don't think I'll actually call the police to remove you from this house, you're in for a huge awakening!"

"Norah," Cohen began warningly. "This is still my house too, and Tahno and Sura are just as much my children as they are yours. Nothing has been legally settled yet."

Norah let out something between a shriek and a gag before cutting into him again. "We'll see just how many rights you have to them once the judge finds out you've been sleeping with one of their classmates!"

As Cohen raised his palms defensively and began muttering things like "legal age" and "consenting adult" while Norah scoffed humorlessly in response, Tahno leaned down and whispered in Korra's ear desperately, "Get her out of here. _Please_." He was looking at Sura with a tortured expression.

The little girl was still playing the video game with her eyes glued to the screen, but she was also now rocking back and forth in an agitated manner, her pale blue eyes wide with fear. Korra nodded and left his side immediately, scooping Sura up, iPad and all, and carried her out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. She set her down on her bed and worried about what to do next. Should she stay out of the way with Sura and make sure she was okay, or did she need to go back down to Tahno and offer him whatever support she could? The sudden crashing sound of breaking glass made up her mind for her, and she turned and ran back downstairs, then stopped just before she reached the bottom as a ceramic figurine sailed through the air in front of her and smashed against the wall not too far from where Cohen was standing.

"How dare you suggest I'm jealous, you fucking bastard!" Norah screamed as she looked around for something else to throw. "Any woman in the world can have you for all I care! You're not a man, you're a snake! My son has been the only man of this house for years!"

Cohen's lip curled nastily before he shot back, "I don't think I prefer to fit your definition of a 'man', based off that simpering idiot at the Chamber of Commerce that you allow to fawn all over you. Why should I bother trying to meet your standards of masculinity when you have the fools you work with to do that for you?"

Norah looked flabbergasted. "What are you talking about?"

"I know about Tom," he grumbled darkly.

"What?"

"You honestly think I haven't been keeping tabs on you since this whole thing started? You should know after being with me for twenty years that I can get eyes and ears wherever I want them."

"It doesn't matter; we haven't done anything. Tom has been nothing more than a friend to me. So what if he cares about me? He's a good man, a gentleman, unlike you."

"With as little as you think of me, it's hard to believe you're really so surprised I would have an affair. In fact, you should be jumping for joy since we both know you're going to try and use it as your ticket to get everything," Cohen voiced spitefully.

"Just shut up," Tahno spat viciously as he stepped forward. "Leave her alone. She didn't ask you to make an ass of yourself with Tiffany."

Cohen pointed his finger at Tahno threateningly. "Stay out of this. You're not so clean yourself, Mr. 'Man of the House'. I know you're screwing that whore."

Norah scoffed again. "How could you '_know'_ that? And besides, of course he's not."

"I have my resources, and anyway, she's just like someone else I used to know. Like mother like daughter. Let him deny it if he wants to." After ending his accusation in a low growl, both he and Norah threw a glance at their son.

Tahno's eyes burned like coals in his father's direction as a vein ticked in his jaw. "If you call her a whore to my face one more time I swear I'll kill you."

Tahno saw the baiting in Cohen's eyes even before he opened his mouth. "Oh, that's right. You don't like that, do you? Sorry to have to tell you that the truth hurts. She's a whore. Just like Senna."

But before Tahno could make good on his promise, Korra dropped down the last few steps to the landing, picked up the nearest thing to her and threw it at Cohen's head. He dodged, but the small table clock managed to graze the side of his skull before shattering in a corner of the room.

"Shit! Goddamn it!" Cohen roared as his hand flew up to cover the injured spot.

"No one talks about my mother like that!" Korra shouted while glaring at him lividly. "Take it back!"

"You'll pay for that," he hissed at her instead.

Korra lunged for him, ready to pummel his face into the ground, but Tahno caught her around the middle and held her back, still staring at his father with an expression every bit as menacing as Korra's. The sudden burst of violence seemed to have shocked Norah back into the catatonic state from the kitchen, and she stayed rooted to her spot while looking on at the scene in apparent apathy. Cohen dropped his hand back to his side and turned to face Korra and Tahno fully while straightening his spine until he stood before them, stiff as a board and staring down coldly like the unwavering aristocrat he was.

The next words he spoke to Korra were as deadly as ice. "You think I'm intimidated by you? Well at least you can take satisfaction from knowing you annoy me. You annoy the hell out of me. And it must THRILL you to see how much you have contributed to the downfall of my family. Tahno nearly died because of you, my wife is divorcing me as a result, and now Tahno has rejected any chance of a worthy future! None of this would have happened if you hadn't tramped your way into his life. As if it wasn't enough that you're the spawn of the woman who made my life hell and the man who took her from me! No doubt my son is bound for the same fate I was forced to suffer!"

"I'm not your son." The words left Tahno's gritted teeth as he let go of Korra and advanced on Cohen.

"What did you say?" The older man asked gravely, a single brow raised in challenge.

"I AM NOT YOUR SON!" Tahno thundered murderously. "We aren't your family! Get out."

Cohen's whole frame suddenly seemed to slump unexpectedly, as if Tahno's last remark had punctured him like a needle and he was slowly deflating. He furrowed his brow, but he didn't look angry, more like he had just become aware of a deep, throbbing pain somewhere inside him and he didn't know what to do about it. Astonishingly, and without another word, he obeyed Tahno's command and left the house, shutting the door solemnly behind him.

Norah let out one frail, shuddering breath, then turned and walked silently away to somewhere in the back of the house.

Tahno turned around and looked at Korra. Misery was an understated description of the expression his features had morphed into. She closed the distance between them and reached for his hand, and he tightened his fingers around hers as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, fighting to hold back how upset he was. Then with a gentle tug on her hand, he began leading her to the basement door and on down to his studio.

"Tahno, I'm so sorry," Korra let out in a rush as she sat next to him at the soundboard. The tone in her voice was not indicative of someone expressing condolences, but rather of someone giving a legitimate apology with a plea for forgiveness.

"What could you possibly be sorry for?" Tahno asked as he peered at her incredulously.

"For bugging you so much about fixing things with him. I mean, I was already sorry before, but now I can't believe how much of an idiot I was. I'm clearly way in over my head here. I don't know how you would even begin trying to reach him."

"You don't need to apologize for that. You and I have already made up for all those things we said before… Anyway," he sighed dejectedly before continuing. "I only got upset over that because I knew you were right, but I just couldn't make myself accept it. Oh well, any shot I had at getting to him is long gone now, and he just now completely blew any shot he had to rectify himself," Tahno grated out bitterly.

Korra wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him, wanting to comfort him anyway she could and knowing there was nothing she could say to heal the hurt.

"Promise me you'll never let me turn into him."

Korra couldn't help the reflexive flinch that went through her shoulders, and she turned to stare foreboding at his stormy profile. "You're not going to turn into him. It's not possible. You are your own person, and me being here has no weight in determining that. And besides, it's not like he's some soulless demon. He's still a human being with a heart, and I can't believe that he doesn't love you or Sura. He's just… kind of messed up," she tried to smooth over, giving Cohen way more credit than she actually felt he deserved.

"_Kind of messed up_? Did you forget what was in that video?" Tahno reminded her as he scowled at the floor.

"I'm sorry. I know, you're right," she blurted out quickly, mentally kicking herself for not realizing that Tahno wouldn't see her mitigating his father's morality as being very supportive right now. "You're not like him, okay? And there's no reason why you ever would be."

Tahno shook his head slightly before responding, "I'm not blind, okay? I see the similarities. People tell me all the time how much I remind them of my father, and even though I always deny it, I still know the truth. At least I can take comfort from the fact that I'm not as much of a bastard as he is. I would never treat you like he's treated my mother." He turned to face her, then raised his hand to cup her cheek as he stared at her with eyes that were still full of tormented emotions. "I know I haven't been the guy you deserve, but I swear I would never betray you. You're the only light in my life, the only one that gives me any real meaning."

"That's not true," Korra argued as she frowned at his declaration.

"It is," he whispered back defiantly.

"No. I know you would never betray me, but you would never do that to Sura or your mother either. Or to your friends or to anyone you care about. I don't know your dad, but I know you. Your heart is sincere and loving. You have a beautiful and creative mind and you pour every bit of yourself into your music. Yes, you act like a dick sometimes, but I love you anyway because I know who you really are." She leaned forward and pressed her lips determinedly to his, letting him know without any more words that she wouldn't allow him to disagree with her.

Tahno's hands latched around her and drew her closer to him, returning the kiss as though his life depended on it. A few minutes passed before they finally eased up and pulled away, both looking and feeling much more put together than they had before.

Korra's face lit up with a smile at his suddenly altered expression. "I know that look," she said brightly.

A corner of Tahno's mouth turned up in response, and he kissed her one more time before turning to his soundboard. Korra settled back in the comfortable swivel chair and watched him as he began working with the sound mixers, a lighted, purposeful look setting his features. He was diving full force into a song that had been giving him trouble lately, but now there seemed to be a renewed sense of inspiration that was motivating him to complete it.

A couple hours later, Korra felt herself jerking awake from a light doze she had fallen into while curled up in Tahno's chair. A second round of knocking sounded from the door at the top of the stairs before it opened and Norah's voice floated down to them.

"Tahno, I need you to bring Sura upstairs so she can have her dinner," she called out.

Tahno turned around in his seat where he had been mixing and editing nonstop the whole time and shared a confused look with Korra. "Sura's not down here," he answered after scanning the room just in case.

"What do you mean? I thought you were watching her," Norah said, descending a few stairs until she could see into the basement properly.

"No, Mom. Korra and I have been down here alone since around four," he replied, his eyes revealing the anxiety building inside him.

Norah stood frozen on the middle of the staircase, gaping in horror for a few seconds before turning and running back up to the main floor as she muttered, "Oh my God," under her breath.

Tahno and Korra both jumped up from their seats and were right behind her. "You mean you don't where she is?" Tahno barked out as they followed her up the next flight of steps and down the hall to Sura's room.

"I checked the house for all of you over an hour ago, and I didn't see her so I just thought she was with you," Norah responded tensely as threw the door open to an empty room. She even went over and dropped to the floor to check under the bed and then over to the closet. Then she swung around to survey Korra and Tahno with frantic eyes before commanding, "Don't just stand there; go find her! Split up, check every nook and cranny, especially under all the beds."

They all did as she said, covering every inch of the house and calling Sura's name until it became abundantly clear she wasn't inside the house.

"You don't think Dad…" Tahno trailed of as he looked at his mother meaningfully once they had met downstairs again.

"You don't think I what?" Cohen asked as he walked into the living room. "I came back to get the papers."

"We can't find Sura," Norah informed him tersely, her hands shaking slightly as his head jerked up to stare at her. "We need to call the police."

"We haven't looked outside yet," Korra reminded them.

Norah shook her head. "It's cold and dark already, and she never goes outside on her own."

Tahno threw up his hands in exasperation. "Well then I guess she evaporated, because that's a much more logical explanation."

"Cut that out right now," Cohen snapped as he shot his gaze to Tahno. "Focus only on what's important. Are you absolutely sure she's not inside?"

Tahno nodded stiffly. "Positive."

"How long have you been looking?" he demanded next.

"About ten minutes, but she could have been gone anywhere in between that and two hours," Norah answered.

"Then we check outside. I'll turn on the security lights so we'll be able to see every inch of our property up to the edge of the woods."

All four of them spread out to search the expansive yards, checking every bush or crevice a five year old could fit into, but still there was no sign of her. They began walking along the edge of the woods that lined the west and north sides of the property, shining lights into the trees and yelling her name until their voices began to go hoarse. Tahno was now leaning strenuously into cane, protesting pains shooting up and down his leg, but he ignored them as the fear for his autistic baby sister encompassed all of his mind.

"Norah!" Cohen's voice suddenly shouted from across the yard in a tone that was none too comforting.

They all hurried over to where he was standing by the northern side of the yard's perimeter, shining a flashlight down on something a few yards within the forest.

"Do you see her?!" Norah asked breathlessly as she closed in.

"No, but isn't that the blanket she carries around everywhere?" Cohen said as their gazes followed the beam of light that shone on Sura's purple dupatta lying in a tangle on the forest floor.

They went through the trees and searched all around the only evidence they had of her recent movements, but still to no avail.

"Oh my God!" Norah cried, her panic rising to an all-time high. "She's in these woods, Cohen! With wild animals and who knows what else, and it's getting colder by the minute! Call the police NOW. We have to find her!"

With that, she made to bolt off further into the trees, her flashlight scanning from side to side like a beacon, but before she could take two steps, Cohen grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "Wait, Norah. We have to get organized before we go tearing off into the middle of the night."

She glared up at him with terrified tears tracking down her face. "You get organized! I'm not going to waste another second just standing here!"

"You're not going to accomplish anything that way accept getting yourself lost, then what good will you be to her?" he worded forcefully, then released her and softened his voice as the fury in her face made way for despair. "We _will_ find our daughter, Norah, but we're going to do it the right way. All of you go back to the house and dress for a hike. Then call everyone we know and get them out here as quickly as possible for a search party. Go!"

The Cohen was on his phone and dialing the police as Norah took off running to the house. Tahno and Korra went with her, sparing each other a single glance of dread as they hurried underneath the dark night sky, their visible breaths shaking with trepidation as neither could help fearing the worst.

* * *

_Author's notes- Thank you so much Alaburn for co-writing and betaing this, you are the best. I would be lost without you. _

_Thank you to my Sexy Water Tensioners for your support, you know who you are. _

_Yeah so Tiffany WAS THE DISTRACTION to hide the Sura sucker punch. OH NOES! Sura's lost in the woods! In Winter! At Night! What's going to happen next?! _

_Thank you so much for reading, reviews are love and only push us to write faster. ;) _


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